Aims: Clinical assessment of peripheral neuropathy can be performed by testing vibration sense using a tuning fork and cutaneous sensation using a 10g monofilament. The VibraTip ® is a novel device which produces a constant vibratory stimulus and therefore assesses vibration sense. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the VibraTip compared to the tuning fork. Methods: From 100 patients with diabetes, 50 patients had confirmed peripheral neuropathy (PN +ve) and 50 were confirmed to have no peripheral neuropathy (PN -ve) as assessed by neurothesiometer. Both groups were then assessed using both the VibraTip and tuning fork. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios for diagnosing peripheral neuropathy were calculated. Results: A statistically significant difference in sensitivity (52%) (p<0.001) between the VibraTip and tuning fork results was observed for PN +ve subjects. However no statistically significant difference in specificity (6%) (p<0.25) was seen for PN -ve subjects. Conclusion: This study confirms that the VibraTip is comparable to the neurothesiometer, and superior to the tuning fork, in the detection of peripheral neuropathy and could be a useful screening tool in clinical practice.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.