A comparison of stimulus presentation methods in temporal discrimination testing

摘要: The temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) is the shortest time interval at which an individual detects two stimuli to be asynchronous (normal  =  30-50 ms). It has been shown abnormal in patients with disorders affecting basal ganglia including adult onset idiopathic focal dystonia (AOIFD). Up 97% of have TDT age- and sex-related penetrance unaffected relatives, demonstrating autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. These findings support use as a pre-clinical biomarker for AOIFD. usual stimulus presentation method involves progressively stimuli; when three sequential are reported taken participant's TDT. To investigate robustness 'staircase' presentation, we introduced randomised order explore any potential 'learning effect' that may associated this existing method. aim study was differences using methods presentation. Thirty healthy volunteers were recruited (mean age 33.73  ±  3.4 years). Visual tactile testing staircase carried out single session. There strong relationship between random values. This observed consistency suggests experimental approach robust recording individual's In addition, our newly devised paradigm reproducible more efficient data acquisition clinic setting. However, yield different absolute results either should used uniformly all participants one particular study.