Mobile phone use in the neurological examination
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of mobile phones in the assessment of vibration sense in the neurological examination
IRAS ID
164263
Contact name
David McKee
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Sense of vibration is most commonly impaired in peripheral neuropathies, which involve damage to the nerves in the arm and legs/limbs, and also in spinal cord diseases. Therefore, testing vibration sense is an important part of the neurological examination. This test usually involves placing a vibrating 128Hz tuning fork upon the patient’s big toe and asking the patient whether or not they can feel the vibration. If the patient cannot feel the vibration, the same process is applied in sequence to the ankle, knee, pelvis and ribcage. The test ends at each of these body parts when the patient can feel the vibration. However, tuning forks are not readily available in hospitals in developing countries.
This study aims to assess whether the vibration setting of a mobile phone could be used as an alternative to the vibrating tuning fork in this context. The researcher will perform the vibration sense test on each patient, once with a vibrating fork, as would be normal practice, and once with a mobile phone set to a similar vibration setting. Given that most clinicians – even in developing, resource-poor countries – have a mobile phone, the ability to use the vibration of a phone to perform the neurological examination could reduce the number of incomplete neurological examinations being performed, and may assist in diagnosing some neurological abnormalities.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0296
Date of REC Opinion
5 May 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion