VSA-3000: A Quantitative Vibration Sensation Testing Device for Patients With Central Nervous System Injury

Frontiers in Neurology, 2020 · DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00936 · Published: September 8, 2020

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the use of the Vibration Sensory Analyzer-3000 (VSA-3000) to assess vibration sensation in patients with central nervous system (CNS) injuries, such as stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI). It compares the VSA-3000's accuracy against somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) measurements and the traditional tuning fork test. The VSA-3000 is a quantitative sensory testing (QST) device designed to assess vibration perception thresholds (VPT). The study aims to determine if VSA-3000 can accurately evaluate VPT in patients with CNS injuries, and whether it offers superior accuracy compared to the tuning fork test. The researchers recruited 60 patients, 30 with stroke and 30 with SCI, and compared the results of VSA-3000, tuning fork tests, and SSEP measurements. The goal was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of VSA-3000 and its reliability in assessing impaired vibration sensation.

Study Duration

From May 2015 to March 2018

Participants

Sixty patients (30 stroke and 30 spinal cord injury), aged between 20 and 71 years old

Evidence Level

Prospective observational study

Key Findings

1
The test-retest reliability of VSA-3000 was substantial, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.91, indicating good consistency in measurements over time.
2
The agreement between VSA-3000 and SSEP was high (kappa = 0.877), suggesting that VSA-3000 is a reliable tool for assessing vibration sensation compared to the reference standard SSEP.
3
VSA-3000 demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy with a sensitivity of 94.8% and a specificity of 92.9%, outperforming the tuning fork test, which had lower sensitivity and specificity.

Research Summary

This study evaluated the VSA-3000 device for quantitative assessment of vibration sensation in patients with central nervous system injuries, specifically stroke and spinal cord injury. The device's performance was compared to the traditional tuning fork test and the electrophysiological SSEP. The VSA-3000 showed substantial test-retest reliability, high agreement with SSEP measurements, and superior diagnostic accuracy compared to the tuning fork. This suggests that VSA-3000 is a reliable and accurate tool for assessing impaired vibration sensation. The study concludes that VSA-3000 is a non-invasive and convenient quantitative testing instrument that may be useful as a screening tool for assessing impaired vibration sensation caused by central nerve injury. The types of injury and age were significant factors related to vibration perception thresholds.

Practical Implications

Clinical Practice

VSA-3000 can be integrated into clinical settings as a reliable tool for quantitative assessment of vibration sensation, aiding in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with CNS injuries.

Diagnostic Tool

VSA-3000 offers a more accurate and objective method for assessing vibration sensation compared to the traditional tuning fork test, potentially improving diagnostic accuracy.

Research Applications

The VSA-3000 can be utilized in large-scale clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving sensory function in patients with CNS injuries.

Study Limitations

1
The sample size was relatively small (n = 60), which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
2
The study used latencies of SSEP as the reference criteria, rather than amplitudes, which may have influenced the results.
3
The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the types of injury (complete SCI vs. other types) and age were highly correlated with the VPTs, especially complete vs. incomplete spinal lesions.

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