Table 6.
Sensory thresholds and stimulus intensities.
| Sensory threshold and intensity | Young mean ± SD | Older mean ± SD | Mean difference (95% CI) | p | d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somatosensory | |||||
| Forefinger threshold (mA) | 15.8 ± 2.8 | 24.2 ± 6.7 | 8.4 (6.7 to 10.1) | 0.001 | 1.38 |
| Little finger threshold (mA) | 15.5 ± 2.3 | 22.9 ± 6.1 | 7.3 (5.8 to 8.8) | 0.001 | 1.33 |
| Forefinger intensity (mA) | 31.3 ± 6.0 | 48.3 ± 13.5 | 17.0 (13.5 to 20.3) | 0.001 | 1.37 |
| Little finger intensity (mA) | 30.4 ± 5.2 | 45.2 ± 11.7 | 14.8 (11.6 to 17.6) | 0.001 | 1.38 |
| Auditory | |||||
| Hearing threshold right ear 1000 Hz (dB) | 3.3 ± 6.2 | 15.9 ± 12.7 | 12.9 (9.7 to 16.4) | 0.001 | 1.24 |
| Hearing threshold right ear 500 Hz (dB) | 8.2 ± 5.3 | 21.4 ± 13.2 | 13.3 (10.3 to 16.8) | 0.001 | 1.14 |
| Hearing threshold left ear 1000 Hz (dB) | 5.1 ± 8.3 | 13.1 ± 11.8 | 10.0 (6.5 to 14.0) | 0.001 | 0.90 |
| Hearing threshold left ear 500 Hz (dB) | 12.9 ± 6.7 | 23.4 ± 13.4 | 10.5 (7.3 to 14.6) | 0.001 | 0.90 |
The differences between age groups were tested with independent samples t-tests (two-tailed, bootstrap statistics). SD, standard deviation; CI, confidence interval; p, statistical significance; d, Cohen’s d.