• Kevin W Greve, Jeffrey M Love, Matthew T Heinly, Bridget M Doane, Elizabeth Uribe, Cora L Joffe, and Kevin J Bianchini.
• Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA. kgreve@uno.edu
• J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2005 Jul 1;47(7):718-27.

ObjectiveIntentional exaggeration of disability is a risk in work injuries but is hard to reliably detect clinically. This study examined the accuracy of tactile sensory threshold and forced-choice discrimination measures in detecting feigned sensory loss.MethodsParticipants (n = 80) were randomly assigned to one of four sensory loss groups: (1) none; (2) partial; (3) full; or (4) feigned. Sensory data were collected for the upper extremities.ResultsTactile thresholds greater than 0.5 g, discriminability less than 0.50, or forced-choice scores less than 90% were associated with a very low probability of false-positive errors.ConclusionsBelow-chance scores are definitive evidence that the sensory loss is intentionally feigned. Scores beyond cut-offs should raise the clinician's suspicion of malingering if there is no physical basis for sensory loss.

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