What is biothesiometry?

Answer 1

Study done to study foot ulcer and other diseases based on sensitivity tests.

A probe is applied to part of the foot, usually on the big toe. The probe can be made to vibrate at increasing intensity by turning a dial. The person being tested indicates as soon as he/she can feel the vibration and the reading on the dial at that point is recorded. The biothesiometer can have a reading from 0 to 50 volts. The reading is low in young normal individuals (ie.they are very sensitive to vibration). As we get older, the biothesiometer reading becomes progressively higher. From experience, it is known that the risk of developing a neuropathic ulcer is much higher if a person has a biothesiometer reading greater than 30-40 volts, if the high reading cannot be explained by age.