{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.023185483870967742, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 6.195652173913044, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Enhancing tactile sensation in older adults with electrical noise stimulation

&NA; Older adults often suffer from diminished somatosensation stemming from age‐related neuropathy. Recently, localized low‐level electrical noise stimulation was shown to enhance tactile sensitivity in healthy young subjects. Here, we hypothesized that fine‐touch sensitivity in older adults can be similarly improved. Semmes‐Weinstein monofilaments were used to evaluate fine‐touch sensitivity on the first metatarsal phalangeal joint with four electrical stimulus conditions and a null (no‐noise) condition in nine healthy elderly subjects. Electrical noise stimulation resulted in a statistically significant increase in the number of detections below the null‐condition detection threshold, for five of the nine subjects, as well as across the entire population. This work suggests that electrical noise‐based techniques may enable people to overcome functional difficulties due to age‐related sensory loss.