Measurement of lingual vibrotactile sensitivity using pulsed and continuous stimulation

Abstract

Vibrotactile thresholds were obtained from the anterior midline surface of the tongue in four groups of 50 normal-speaking young adults. Thresholds were measured using an ascending-pulsed, ascending-continuous, descending-pulsed, and descending-continuous stimulus series. Statistical analyses indicated that thresholds obtained with the descending-continuous stimuli were least sensitive. This effect on vibrotactile thresholds appeared to be related to perstimulatory fatigue much like the same phenomenon reported with obtaining auditory thresholds. © 1973, The Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.