Analysis of impaired vibrotactile sense in patients with schizophrenia and depressive disorders / 四川精神卫生

BackgroundPatients with schizophrenia and depressive disorders exhibit abnormalities in perceptual processing. Previous perceptual studies are mainly based on asking participants to fill in a questionnaire， and little research has been undertaken on objective behavior in patients with schizophrenia and depressive disorders. ObjectiveTo explore the behavioral changes in vibrotactile sense among patients with schizophrenia and depressive disorders， so as to enrich relevant findings in objective behavioral research. MethodsFrom March 2021 to September 2023， 33 patients with schizophrenia and 31 patients with depressive disorders in the outpatient and inpatient departments of Beijing Huilongguan Hospital and met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） diagnostic criteria were enrolled. And another 34 healthy controls were concurrently recruited at Beihang University and Beijing Huilongguan Hospital. Patients with schizophrenia were assessed using Positive and Negative Symptom Scale （PANSS）， and patients with depressive disorders were assessed using Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17）. The vibrotactile sensitivity of the left hand in all participants was tested in a delay match-to-sample procedure， and the correct rate of vibrotactile delayed discrimination task was compared among the three groups. ResultsCompared with healthy controls， a reduction was found in the correct rates at index finger， middle finger and ring finger in patients with schizophrenia （P<0.01）， the average correct rate at five fingers in patients with schizophrenia （P=0.001）， and the correct rate at thumb in patients with depressive disorders （P=0.026）. No statistical difference was reported in correct rate of vibrotactile delayed discrimination task between patients with depression disorders and schizophrenia （P>0.05）. The average correct rate of vibrotactile sense in schizophrenia group was not significantly correlated with the duration of disease， age of onset， chlorpromazine equivalent doses and PANSS score （r=0.058、0.045、0.114、-0.194， P>0.05）. The average correct rate in depressive group was negatively correlated with age of onset （r=-0.415， P=0.020）， but not significantly correlated with the duration of disease and HAMD-17 score （r=-0.044， 0.142， P>0.05）. ConclusionPatients with schizophrenia and depressive disorders have impaired vibrotactile sense. The vibrotactile sense is impaired in index， middle and ring fingers among patients with schizophrenia， and in thumbs of patients with depressive disorders. Moreover， the impairment in patients with depressive disorders may be related to the age of onset. ［Funded by 2023 Hebei Provincial Graduate Innovation Funding Project （number， CXZZSS2023140）］

Investigation and analysis on fingertip vibrotactile perception threshold at two frequencies in mine drilling workers / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristic change of fingertip vibrotactile perception threshold(VPT) at two different frequencies among mine drilling workers. METHODS: A total of 48 mine drilling workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration for at least 1.0 year were selected from mines in Hubei Province as the vibration exposure group by using the random number table method, and workers without hand-transmitted vibration exposure were selected as the control group. An HVLab vibrotactile perception meter was used to measure the fingertip VPT at 31.5 and 125.0 Hz in workers of these two groups. RESULTS: None of the workers in these two groups showed any clinical symptoms associated with occupational hand-arm vibration diseases. At 31.5 and 125.0 Hz, the fingertip VPT in the vibration exposure group was higher than that in the control group(P<0.01), the fingertip VPT of the little fingers was higher than that of the index fingers(P<0.01). At 125.0 Hz, the fingertip VPT of the fingers in dominant hands was higher than that in non-dominant hands in workers of the vibration exposure group(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The mine drilling workers with hand-transmitted vibration exposure had higher fingertip VPT. There were differences of VPT in fingers and dominant hands.

Influência do tipo de transdutor na deficiência auditiva de grau profundo / Influence of the type of transducer in profound hearing loss

TEMA: indivíduos com deficiência auditiva de grau profundo podem apresentar respostas por vibração com os fones supra-aurais devido a grande área do crânio exposta à vibração nestes transdutores. OBJETIVO: verificar a influência do tipo de transdutor na obtenção dos limiares auditivos por via aérea em indivíduos com deficiência auditiva neurossensorial de grau profundo. MÉTODO: 50 indivíduos, com idades variando de 16 a 55 anos, foram submetidos a anamnese, meatoscopia, e posteriormente, a audiometria tonal liminar e limiar de detecção de voz (LDV). As audiometrias tonal e vocal foram realizadas tanto com fones supra-aurais TDH-39 quanto com os fones de inserção ER-3A. RESULTADOS: nas audiometrias tonal e vocal, notamos que, com o fone de inserção, foram obtidos limiares auditivos mais elevados do que os obtidos com o fone supra-aural, com significância estatística nas freqüências de 250Hz e 1000Hz. Ao observarmos a diferença entre os resultados obtidos com o transdutor TDH-39 e o ER-3A em cada orelha separadamente, notamos que a diferença foi maior na orelha direita com significância estatística somente na freqüência de 250 Hz. Em relação ao sexo, notamos que as diferenças entre os transdutores foram maiores no sexo masculino com significância estatística na freqüência de 250 Hz. No entanto, no LDV, a diferença maior foi encontrada no sexo feminino. CONCLUSÃO: deficientes auditivos neurossensorias de grau profundo bilateral apresentam limiares de audibilidade mais elevados (piores) com os fones de inserção do que com os fones supra-aurais nas freqüências baixas, evidenciando a existência das respostas por vibração com os fones supra-aurais.

BACKGROUND: individuals with profound hearing loss may present vibrotactile responses when tested with supra-aural earphones due to the large skull area exposed to vibration in these transducers. AIM: to verify the influence of the type of transducer when assessing air conducted pure tone thresholds in individuals with profound sensorineural hearing loss. METHOD: 50 individuals, ranging in age from 16 to 55 years, were submitted to a clinical history questionnaire, meatoscopy, and pure tone and speech audiometry, using both TDH-39 supra-aural earphones and ER-3A insert earphones. RESULTS: in both pure tone and speech testing, thresholds were higher when obtained using insert earphones, with statistical significant differences for 250Hz and 1000Hz. Considering right and left ear testing with the different transducers, this difference was greater for the right ear, with statistical significant differences only for 250 Hz. Regarding gender, it was observed that the difference between the transducers was greater in males, with statistical significant differences for 250 Hz. However, in the SDT (Speech Detection Threshold), the greatest difference was found in females. CONCLUSION: people with bilateral sensorineural profound hearing loss presented higher (worse) thresholds with insert earphones (ER-3A) than with supra aural earphones (TDH-39) for low frequencies (250Hz and 1000Hz), confirming the existence of vibrotactile responses with supra aural earphones.

Polyneuropathy by Occupational Exposure to Acrylamide / 대한산업의학회지

Authors report a first Korean case of polyneuropathy in an acrylamide producing factory together with an environmental and epidemiologic survey for the ten workers of the same workplace and 46 workers in the production and manufacturing acrylamide in Ulsan, Korea. The case is 30 years old man who worked in the prcduction of the acrylamide for two years. In August, 1997, he had a weakness of the lower extremity with loss of body weight of 15 Kg which progressed to paresthesia of the limbs, the loss of vibration sense, difficulty in walking, speech disturbance, dysuria, constipation, difficulty in erection and swallowing difficulty. Neurologic examination showed a complete loss of vibration and position sense, and loss of deep tendon reflex in all the limbs. There was a contact dermatitis-like skin lesion on the feet. Electrodiagnostic test showed a generalized polyneuropathy of moderate degree involving motor and sensory component of peripheral and cranial nerves. After 8 months' cessation from exposure and supportive care, his symptoms were completely resolved, but abnormality in electrodiagnostic test and vibrotactile perception threshold still persisted, although much improved than before. There were 11 workers in the same workplace of the case, producing acrylamide by microorganism as a catalyst. Environmental monitoring of the workplace revealed air-borne concentration of the acrylamide to be from 0.05 to 0.23 mg/m(3) by personal sampling and from 7.65 to 11.65 mg/m(3) by area sampling during filter exchanging process, which far exceeds TLV-TWA of 0.03 mg/m(3). However acrylamide was not detected from the plasma of the workers. Symptom questionnaire showed a markedly higher complain of neurologic symptoms, compared to the workers of the other acrylamide producing companies. Electrodiagnostic test showed a several workers are in the lower normal range without definite abnormality. Vibrotactile perception threshold by Vibratron II showed a significantly increased threshold in the workers of the same workplace compared to the other acrylamide workers and significantly decreased test score of color vision compared to normal controls. After improvement of the production process and strict wearing of the protective device, most workers reported the improvement of clinical symptoms, but vibrotactile perception threshold was not improved. These result suggests the need for the effective environmental monitoring together with a periodic biological monitoring. Development of effective screening test is urgently needed to control and assess the skin absorption of acrylamide.