Assessment of spatial lingual tactile sensitivity using a gratings orientation test

Rabitti, Noemi Sofia; Appiani, Marta; Cattaneo, Camilla; Ford, Rebecca; Laureati, Monica

Abstract

Individual thresholds by R-index estimates are calculated using a gratings orientation test (6 different tools of increasing grating size from 0.20-1.25 mm) to assess spatial lingual tactile sensitivity. During the experiment, the subjects are blindfolded and asked to specify the orientation of the grating (either horizontal or vertical) placed on the tongue. R-index is based on Signal Detection Theory (SDT), and it is an estimated probability of correctly identifying a target stimulus (the signal, e.g., the correct orientation) compared to an alternative stimulus (the noise, e.g., the incorrect orientation). Once the R-index values for each subject and each tool dimension are calculated, it is possible to derive the individual threshold by interpolating the two R-indices immediately below and above the established cut-off (typically 75%) based on one-sided R-index critical values. This procedure can be helpful in the medical field to study the association between oral tactile sensitivity, speech clarity, and swallowing disorders, as well as in sensory and consumer studies to explore individual variation in texture perception, food preferences, and eating behavior.

Citation

Rabitti, N. S., Appiani, M., Cattaneo, C., Ford, R., & Laureati, M. (2021). Assessment of spatial lingual tactile sensitivity using a gratings orientation test. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2021(175), Article e62898. https://doi.org/10.3791/62898

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 9, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Sep 17, 2021
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Oct 14, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 2, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Visualized Experiments
• Electronic ISSN: 1940-087X
• Publisher: Journal of Visualized Experiments
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2021
• Issue: 175
• Article Number: e62898
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3791/62898
• Keywords: General Immunology and Microbiology; General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; General Chemical Engineering; General Neuroscience
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/6297367
• Publisher URL: https://www.jove.com/t/62898/assessment-spatial-lingual-tactile-sensitivity-using-gratings