Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 53, Issue 3 M222-M227, Copyright © 1998 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Response (re-)programming in aging: a kinematic analysis

MA Bellgrove, JG Phillips, JL Bradshaw and RM Gallucci
Psychology Department, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Age-related motor slowing may reflect either motor programming deficits, poorer movement execution, or mere strategic preferences for online guidance of movement. We controlled such preferences, limiting the extent to which movements could be programmed. METHODS: Twenty-four young and 24 older adults performed a line drawing task that allowed movements to be prepared in advance in one case (i.e., cue initially available indicating target location) and not in another (i.e., no cue initially available as to target location). Participants connected large or small targets illuminated by light-emitting diodes upon a graphics tablet that sampled pen tip position at 200 Hz. RESULTS: Older adults had a disproportionate difficulty initiating movement when prevented from programming in advance. Older adults produced slower, less efficient movements, particularly when prevented from programming under greater precision requirements. CONCLUSIONS: The slower movements of older adults do not simply reflect a preference for online control, as older adults have less efficient movements when forced to reprogram their movements. Age- related motor slowing kinematically resembles that seen in patients with cerebellar dysfunction.

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