Introduction of automated systems to evaluate touch-pressure, vibration, and thermal cutaneous sensation in man.

Systems for automatic assessment of cutaneous touch-pressure, vibratory, and thermal sensation have been developed. These systems use stimuli which are quantified and reproducible, a two-alternative forced-choice technique, and programmed steps to test, score, and report. If normal responses from series of healthy persons have been measured, percentile values specific for test, site, age, and sex can be determined. Abnormality, as in neurological disease, can then be defined as the response which has a value greater than that of the 95th (or other) percentile. These systems may be used to detect and validate abnormalities of sensation in neurological disease and in persons at risk from new medications or from industrial toxins, and to monitor worsening or improvement of sensation in follow-up of a patient or in evaluation of therapeutic regimens.