How to determine hands' vibration perception thresholds - a systematic review

Abstract

The vibration perception threshold (VPT) is the minimum amplitude required for conscious vibration perception. VPT assessments are essential in medical diagnostics, safety, and human-machine interaction technologies. However, factors like age, health conditions, and external variables affect VPTs. Various methodologies and distinct procedures have been used to access VPTs, leading to challenges in establishing standardized protocols. Following the PRISMA methodology, this systematic review was conducted to answer the research question: "How are vibration perception thresholds assessed on the glabrous skin of the hands and fingers of healthy humans?" Searches were conducted across five databases to locate recent studies reporting data from VPT assessments, published in English, between 2012 and 2023. Thirty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Data on study goals and various methodological aspects was categorized and analyzed. Information gaps were identified, and this review offers recommendations for future studies to enhance standardization and facilitate data comparison. This review also suggests directions for future research, aiming to improve our understanding of how humans perceive haptic information.

Keywords: Fingers; Hands; Systematic review; VPT; Vibration perception threshold.

Fig. 1

Number of records found across all searches after duplicates were removed

Fig. 2

PRISMA 2020 flow diagram of the systematic review (Page et al., 2021)

Fig. 3

Number of studies assessing VPTs at each hand location (D5 = little finger; D4 = ring finger; D3 = middle finger; D2 = index finger; D1 = thumb; T.E. = thenar eminence; DPFC. = distal palmar flexion crease)

Fig. 4

Frequencies at which VPTs were assessed across 38 studies

Fig. 5

Number of frequencies at which VPTs were assessed per frequency range and hand location

Fig. 6

Heat map distribution of the number of VPT assessments per hand location