Low-level static lip force control does not alter vibrotactile detection thresholds in the human orofacial system.

Mechanosensation associated with precise orofacial force regulation may contribute considerably to processes associated with perception, proprioception and sensorimotor control due to the direct coupling between orofacial skin and the underlying musculature. Recent investigations have demonstrated that dynamic, low-level lip force control is capable of modulating vibrotactile detection thresholds of the lips in a frequency-dependent manner. What is not known is whether the mode of motor control (static versus dynamic) may represent an important control variable in the expression of these perceptual threshold changes.