title: Touch noise increases vibrotactile sensitivity in old and young.
abstract: Stochastic resonance (SR) occurs when the detection of a subthreshold signal is aided by the presence of random energy fluctuations in the signal modality, commonly called noise. SR is counterintuitive because such noise usually worsens performance. Nonetheless, SR has been demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally in human sensory systems. Using a psychophysically sophisticated paradigm, we show that SR aids the detection of vibrating touch stimuli presented to the foot soles of both healthy elderly people with elevated vibrotactile thresholds and healthy young people with normal vibrotactile thresholds. The results also suggest that it is possible to know a priori the amount of noise needed for optimal SR effects given the degree to which the signal is subthreshold. Thus, SR may be practical as a rehabilitative aid for individuals with elevated sensory thresholds.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4.
authors.forename: Cari
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Timothy Inglis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological; D012016:Reference Values; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D013360:Subliminal Stimulation; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration