Special Contribution

Yonago Acta medica 2010;53:59–64

Current Perception Threshold for Assessment of
the Neurological Components of Hand-Arm Vibration
Syndrome: A Review
Youichi Kurozawa, Takenobu Hosoda and Yoshiro Nasu*
Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8053 and *Clinical Research Center ofHand-Arm Vibration Syndrome, San-in Rosai Hospital, Yonago 683-8605, Japan

Current perception threshold (CPT) has been proposed as a quantitative method for assessment of peripheral sensory nerve function. The aim of this review of selected reports isto provide an overview of CPT measurement for the assessment of the neurological component of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The CPT values at 2000 Hz significantly
increased for patients with HAVS. This result supports the previous histological findingsthat demyelination is found predominantly in the peripheral nerves in the hands of men
exposed to hand-arm vibration. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were high for severecases of Stockholm sensorineural (SSN) stage 3 compared with non-exposed controls, but
not high for mild cases of SSN stage 1 or 2 and for carpal tunnel syndrome associated with
HAVS. However, there are only a few studies on the diagnostic validity of the CPT test for
the neurological components of HAVS. Further research is needed and should include diagnostic validity and standardizing of measurement conditions such as skin temperature.
Key words: current perception threshold; hand-arm vibration syndrome; neurological symptoms

Current perception threshold (CPT) has been
proposed as a quantitative method for assessmentof peripheral sensory nerve function (Katims etal., 1986). Using the standardized method of CPT,
large myelinated A-beta fibers, small myelinatedA-delta fibers and unmyelinated C fibers are evaluated selectively at 2000, 250 and 5 Hz frequencies,
respectively. The CPT test has been described inpatients with alcoholism (Katims et al., 1987), diabetes (Rendell et al., 1989), idiopathic carpal tunnel
syndrome (CTS) (Nishimura et al., 2003) and uremia (Katims et al., 1991b). This test has also beenused to identify vibration-induced neurologicaldamage, although this is less commonly used. The
aim of this review of selected reports is to provide
an overview of CPT measurement for the assessment of the neurological components of HAVS.

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) consists ofvascular, neurological and musculoskeletal components. The neurological symptoms of HAVS
include tingling and numbness at times other thanduring and immediately after vibratory tool use,
the signs of loss of sensation, poor finger co-ordination, and an inability to do fine work (McGeochet al., 1994). The diagnosis of the neurologicalcomponent of HAVS is usually made clinically.
Quantitative sensory tests such as vibration threshold and temperature threshold have been used forthe assessment of HAVS (Ekenvall et al., 1986;
Swerup and Nilsson, 1987), but no single test has
had sufficient sensitivity and specificity.
Abbreviations: HAVS, hand-arm vibration syndrome; CPT,
current perception threshold; CTS, carpal tunnel syndrome;
SSN, Stockholm sensorineural; VWF, vibration-induced
white finger

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Y. Kurozawa et al.

Table 1. Reported CPT in the HAVSYear Subjectof pub-		
lication

Deviceand procedure

MeasuredfingerResult1998

79 nonTelmest
exposed 		
controls,
171 exposedmen

Index finger,
little finger

CPT test helped to identify the largest number of persons with diminished sensitivity

2001

20 nonNM,
exposedAP
controls,		
59 exposed		
men*

Right
index finger,
little finger[≥ 30˚C]Groups of SSN stages 1 to 3 had significantly increased CPTs of index
and little fingers at 2000 Hz, compared with the control group. Diagnostic sensitivities of the groups of SSN stages 2 and 3 were 76.9% and92.3%, respectively; the 95th percentile (specificity = 95%) of the CPTsof index and little fingers at 2000 Hz of the control group was considered within the normal limit

2007

162
NM,
subAP
jects†		

Bilateralindex fingers,
little fingers

In comparison to the SSN stages, the overall CPT test results showedreasonable sensitivity (right hand 80%, left hand 89%) to detect SSN
stage 2 + 3. The specificity (right hand 28%, left hand 44%) was low

2009

157
NM,
subAP
jects‡		

Bilateralindex fingers,
little fingers

CPT was increased in SSN stages 1 and 2 + 3 in comparison to stage
0, but CPT did not discriminate well between stage 1 and stage 2 + 3.
Polychotomous logistic regression indicated that the CPT measurements
at 2000 Hz, corresponding to damage to large myelinated nerve fibres,
were most predictive both of stages 1 and 2 + 3 in comparison to stage 0

Authors of the above-mentioned references:
1998, Zamysłowska-Szmytke.
2001, Kurozawa and Nasu: * Right hand SSN stage 0: 8, stage 1: 24, stage 2 + 3: 30.
2007, Lander et al.:
† Right hand SSN stage 0: 8, stage 1: 24, stage 2 + 3: 30.
		 Left hand SSN stage 0: 8, stage 1: 128, stage 2 + 3: 26.
2009, House et al.:
‡ Right hand SSN stage 0: 55, stage 1: 81, stage 2 + 3: 23.
		 Left hand SSN stage 0: 52, stage 1: 83, stage 2 + 3: 20.
[ ], skin temperature.
AP, automatic procedure; CPT, current perception threshold; HAVS, hand-arm vibration syndrome; NM, neurometer;
SSN, Stockholm sensorineural.

ral impairment in HAVS is difficult. We also
conducted a systematic literature search with thesearch terms “carpal tunnel syndrome” and “current
perception threshold” in the PubMed database in
November 2009. The search revealed 16 articles.
After reading the abstracts and methods, we selected 2 articles in which study subjects included
industrial workers.

Methods
A systematic literature search for CPT studies was
conducted in the PubMed database in November
2009. The search terms were “hand-arm vibration syndrome” or “vibration-induced white finger(VWF)” and “current perception threshold”. The
PubMed search revealed 5 articles on HAVS or
VWF and CPT. After reading the abstracts andmethods we selected 4 articles. The other article
was an animal experience study.
CTS frequently occurs in association with
HAVS (Palmer et al., 2007) and the clinical discrimination of CTS from the diffuse sensorineu-

Results and Discussion
Table 1 lists the 4 articles on HAVS or VWF and
CPT. The study described by ZamysłowskaSzmytke covered 250 men, including 171 work60

CPT for assessment of HAVS

Table 2. Reported CPT in the CTS among industrial workers
Year Subjectof pub-		
lication

Deviceand procedure

MeasuredfingerResult1991a

16 assem- NM,
bly lineAPworkers*

Index finger

CPT evaluations detected abnormalities in 12 (75%) of the workers.
Clinical findings were consisted with CTS in 8 of the 16 workers. Fiveof the 8 workers with clinical findings had abnormalities of CPTs.
Seven workers had CPT abnormalities without clinical findings

1994

83 plant
workers†

Index finger,
little finger

CPTs were statistically unrelated to self-reported symptoms and toelectrophysiologic findings that were suggestive of CTS. The test performance characteristics of CPT testing were low (sensitivity 66.7%,
specificity = 59.7%)

NM,
AP

Authors of the above-mentioned references:
1991a, Katims et al.: *16 assembly line workers with pain in their hand.
1994, Franzblau et al.: †83 plant workers consisted of 6 with CTS and 77 without CTS.
AP, automatic procedure; CPT, current perception threshold; CTS, carpal tunnel syndrome; NM, neurometer.

ers occupationally exposed to hand-arm vibration and 79 persons non-exposed to vibration(Zamysłowska-Szmytke, 1998). A multiple device
Telmest was used to measure CPT. The CPTs weresignificantly higher in persons exposed to vibration
than in controls. However, diagnostic sensitivity
and specificity were not described.
Kurozawa and Nasu found that the mean CPT
values for index and little fingers at 2000 Hz weresignificantly increased in 59 men with HAVS incomparison to 20 non-exposed controls (Kurozawa
and Nasu, 2001). The patients with HAVS wereclassified according to the Stockholm sensorineural (SSN) stages (Brammer et al., 1987). The CPT
measurements were carried out using the Neurometer (Neurotron, Baltimore, MD). The measurements were carried out on the volar surface of thetips of the index finger for the median nerve andthe little finger for the ulnar nerve. In their study,
diagnostic sensitivities of the groups of SSN stage
2 and 3 were 76.9% and 92.3%, respectively.
Lander et al. conducted the CPT test for 162
subjects referred for HAVS (Lander et al., 2007).
The standardized method using the Neurometer
was employed for all subjects. Their study indicated reasonable sensitivity (right hand 80%, left
hand 89%) but a low specificity. The study subjects
did not include non-exposed controls, and exposed
controls included subjects with SSN stage 1, whichcorresponds to intermittent numbness, with orwithout tingling. This may have contributed to thelow specificity. They concluded that current perception measurement are insufficient for diagnostic
purpose but may have a role in screening workers
exposed to vibration.
House et al. carried out CPT test to determine
if CPT measurements in workers exposed to handarm vibration, and predicted the SSN stages after
accounting for any proximal neurological lesions
measured by nerve conduction tests and if so which
specific frequencies were most predictive (House etal., 2009). All the participants were men who had
been exposed to hand-arm vibration at work andwho were assessed for HAVS. They reported that
CPT was increased in SSN stages 1 and 2 + 3 incomparison to SSN stage 0, but did not allow good
discrimination between the higher SSN stages.
They also reported that neuropathy measured bynerve conduction was unrelated to the SSN stages.
Polychotomous logistic regression indicated that
the CPT measurements at 2000 Hz, corresponding
to damage to large myelinated nerve fibers, weremost predictive both of SSN stages 1 and 2 + 3 incomparison to stage 0.
Table 2 lists 2 articles concerning CTS and
CPT among industrial workers. Katims et al.
evaluated the utility of CPT measurements for theevaluation of nerve integrity in 16 factory workers
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Y. Kurozawa et al.

who were self-referred to the factory’s occupational medicine clinic because of pain in their hand
(Katims et al., 1987). CPT evaluations detected
abnormalities in 12 (75%) of the workers. Clinical findings were consisted with CTS in 8 of the 16
workers. Five of the 8 workers with clinical findings had abnormalities of CPT testing. Seven workers had CPT abnormalities without clinical findings.
Franzblau et al. described the result of a survey of active workers who participated in a medical
screening for CTS (Franzblau et al., 1994). The
CPT results were statistically unrelated to self-reported symptoms and to electrophysiologic findingsthat were suggestive of CTS. The sensitivity andspecificity were 66.7% (4 of 6 with CTS) and 59.7%(46 of 77 without CTS), respectively. They concluded that the CPT test can not be recommended
for use as a screening procedure for detecting possible CTS among active industrial workers.

Skin temperature
In the study by Kurozawa and Nasu (2001), the fingers were warmed until the resulting skin temperature exceeded 30°C, if skin temperature was lower
than 30°C. There is no mention of skin temperature measurements during the CPT test in otherstudies.
Skin temperature has an influence on quantitative sensory test such as the vibration threshold
test (Karadecka, 1974). Finger skin temperature
in a range from 27°C to 30°C is recommended formeasurements of vibration perception thresholds(International Organization for Standardization,2001). However, there has been no study of the effect of skin temperature on the CPT test.
CPT frequency and HAVSThe CPT test measures CPT at frequencies of2000, 250 and 5 Hz corresponding to the activationof large myelinated A-beta fibers, small myelinatedA-delta fibers and unmyelinated C fibers, respectively. The CPT values at 2000 Hz were significantly increased for patients with HAVS (Kurozawa
and Nasu, 2001; House et al., 2009). Acute highexposure of the rat tail to vibration was associatedwith an increase in CPT at 2000 Hz but not at 250
or 5 Hz (Krajnak et al., 2007). These results support the previous histological findings that demyelination is found predominantly in the peripheral
nerves of the hands of men exposed to hand-arm
vibration (Takeuchi et al., 1988).

CPT device and procedure
CPTs were obtained with a Neurometer CPT
in all selected studies except for one study(Zamysłowska-Szmytke, 1997). The Neurometer
diagnostic examination employed a standardized
procedure to generate quantitative measures of thefunctional integrity of sensory nerves. The standardized automatic protocol allows for the detection of attempts of possible deception by the test
subject by confirming the validity of response, andprevents examiner bias.
The current output of the Neurometer ismaintained at a constant level by a feedback circuit
during testing, which standardizes the stimulus
across various skin thickness and as alterations occur in electrode paste or skin resistance (Katims
et al., 1986). Increased thickness of finger skin isoften found in operators who use vibratory tools.
This thickness may contribute to the differencesin vibration or temperature thresholds. The CPT
test can therefore compensate for the effect of skin
thickness on sensory evaluation in workers using
vibratory tools.

Diagnostic validity of neurological components of HAVS
Diagnostic assessment was carried out in 2 studies(Kurozawa and Nasu, 2001; Lander et al., 2007).
The sensitivity and specificity ranged from 92% to76.9%, and 95% to 28%, respectively. High sensitivity and specificity were found in severe casesof SSN stage 3 compared non-exposed controls(Kurozawa and Nasu, 2001). The diagnostic valid62

CPT for assessment of HAVS

ity in mild cases of SSN stage 1 or 2 was not high.
Classifications were made according to the SSN
stage, which is mainly based on symptom. The
SSN stage is not exactly a gold standard. The study
described by Lander et al. showed a low specificity(Lander et al., 2007). The study subjects did notinclude non-exposed controls. The insufficient validity demonstrated in this study may be associatedwith the lack of the non-exposed controls and withusing the SSN stage as the gold standard. Taking
these factors into account, the validity may havebeen more acceptable.

Acknowledgments: This research was founded as partof the Japan Labour, Health and Welfare Organization’s
research and development in the 13 fields of occupational
injuries and resulting illness.
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There is increasing evidence that CTS may also be
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workers who participated in a medical screening
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sensitivity and specificity were unacceptably low.
In the study, however, there were only 6 CTS cases.
Sample size was too small to determine the utility of the CPT measurements for the evaluation of
CTS among industrial workers.

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Received June 18, 2010; accepted, June 25, 2010
Corresponding author: Youichi Kurozawa, MD

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