Somatosensory Assessment after Central Nerve Damage: the Need for Standardized Clinical Measures

Following stroke, somatosensory loss is a common and important predictor of the extent of functional recovery. The clinical value of somatosensory assessment has, however, been repeatedly questioned in the medical literature. The major criticism concerns test reliability and patient variability. Giv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical therapy reviews 1999-03, Vol.4 (1), p.21-28
Main Authors: Winward, Charlotte E, Halligan, Peter W, Wade, Derick T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ASSESSMENT
Biological and medical sciences
DISCRIMINATION
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
MEASURE
Medical sciences
Nervous system
Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques
PRESSURE
PROPRIOCEPTION
SOMATOSENSORY
STROKE
TOUCH
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Summary:Following stroke, somatosensory loss is a common and important predictor of the extent of functional recovery. The clinical value of somatosensory assessment has, however, been repeatedly questioned in the medical literature. The major criticism concerns test reliability and patient variability. Given the importance of identifying clinically significant signs of sensory loss the challenge is to design a short, quantifiable and reliable test. This paper selectively reviews the problems surrounding somatosensory assessment and considers some of the important features when developing a standardized clinical measure.
ISSN:1083-3196
1743-288X
DOI:10.1179/ptr.1999.4.1.21