There is a big overlap in the threshold values obtained from disabled and symptom free subjects. The neurological findings in the clinical evaluation in one study were not associated with an increased vibrotactile threshold in forestry workers. Other investigators consider vibrotactile threshold detection as an important tool in assessing the severity of the peripheral nervous system and in carefully screened subjects find a good correlation with vibrotactile perception threshold shift and vibration induced neuropathy and with vibration induced white finger.
Vibration perception is disturbed in CTS but similar vibrotactile thresholds have been found among forestry workers with and without vibration induced neuropathy or peripheral vascular disturbances. Assessing a vibrotactile detection threshold causes the same difficulties as with nerve conduction studies: a lack of the specificity of the finding. A Reduced vibrotactile sensitivity is typically found also in CTS and occurs at the same frequencies as vibration induced neuropathy.