Measurement of perception thresholds for electrical noise stimuli

In previous research, the application of sub-threshold electrical nerve stimulation (SENS) to peripheral nerves has been shown to improve tactile sensitivity. SENS has applications in the symptomatic treatment of a wide array of conditions that result in the loss of peripheral nerve function. These include diabetes, stroke, and age related peripheral neuropathy. The technology is dependent on careful control of the amplitude of the intervention stimulation relative to the user's perception threshold. However, little is known about the factors that influence the perception threshold and whether it can be treated as a constant. Here we present a study where we applied a two alternate forced choice paradigm to determine electrical perception threshold. We investigated participant, noise frequency characteristics, electrode location, electrode type, and electrode impedance characteristics as explanatory factors for the variability seen in the threshold outcome. We find that the electrical perception threshold is dependent on the frequency characteristics of the signal applied, but varies widely without correlation to the remaining variables. It was also highly variable when re-tested under identical conditions. Our results cast doubt on the ability to treat the electrical threshold as a single value that holds constant for a particular participant and electrode placement. This finding has significant implications in SENS applications.