Age-Related Decline of Wrist Position Sense and its Relationship to Specific Physical Training

Abstract

Perception of limb and body positions is known as proprioception. Sensory feedback, especially from proprioceptive receptors, is essential for motor control. Aging is associated with a decline in position sense at proximal joints, but there is inconclusive evidence of distal joints being equally affected by aging. In addition, there is initial evidence that physical activity attenuates age-related decline in proprioception. Our objectives were, first, to establish wrist proprioceptive acuity in a large group of seniors and compare their perception to young adults, and second, to determine if specific types of training or regular physical activity are associated with preserved wrist proprioception. We recruited community-dwelling seniors (n = 107, mean age, 70 ± 5 years, range, 65–84 years) without cognitive decline (Mini Mental State Examination-brief version ≥13/16) and young adult students (n = 51, mean age, 20 ± 1 years, range, 19–26 years). Participants performed contralateral and ipsilateral wrist position sense matching tasks with a bimanual wrist manipulandum to a 15° flexion reference position. Systematic error or proprioceptive bias was computed as the mean difference between matched and reference position. The respective standard deviation over five trials constituted a measure of random error or proprioceptive precision. Current levels of physical activity and previous sport, musical, or dance training were obtained through a questionnaire. We employed longitudinal mixed effects linear models to calculate the effects of trial number, sex, type of matching task and age on wrist proprioceptive bias and precision. The main results were that relative proprioceptive bias was greater in older when compared to young adults (mean difference: 36% ipsilateral, 88% contralateral, p < 0.01). Proprioceptive precision for contralateral but not for ipsilateral matching was smaller in older than in young adults (mean difference: 38% contralateral, p < 0.01). Longer years of dance training were associated with smaller bias during ipsilateral matching (p < 0.01). Other types of training or physical activity levels did not affect bias or precision. Our findings demonstrate that aging is associated with a decline in proprioceptive bias in distal arm joints, but age does not negatively affect proprioceptive precision. Further, specific types of long-term dance related training may attenuate age-related decline in proprioceptive bias.

Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over S1 Differentially Modulates Proprioceptive Accuracy in Young and Old Adults

“…Behaviorally, age-related changes in proprioception were assessed using an arm position matching (APM) task with occluded vision, showing that OA not only exhibited lower overall proprioceptive accuracy than YA, but also increased movement duration and frequency of speed peaks, both indicative of elevated uncertainty during task execution (Adamo et al, 2007; Herter et al, 2014). Hence, across the lifespan, proprioceptive deficits appear to accumulate gradually, with YA exhibiting highest accuracy, which decreases in middle aged adults (35–50 years), and is lowest in OA (Goble, 2010; Van de Winckel et al, 2017). Impaired proprioceptive processing is associated with an increased incidence of falls in OA (Lord et al, 1999) and inaccurate performance in reaching movements (Adamo et al, 2007).…”

Using remotely delivered Spring Forest Qigong™ to reduce neuropathic pain in adults with spinal cord injury: Protocol of a quasi-experimental clinical trial

“…We will exclude adults with uncontrolled seizure disorder; cognitive impairment and/or communicative disability (e.g., due to brain injury) that prevent participants from following directions or from learning; pregnant women; adults with ventilator dependency; or with other major medical complications. We will exclude adults above 75 years of age because of age-related decline in body awareness (27) and we wish to investigate body awareness deficits related to SCI, not age.…”

The effects of aging on sensory parameters of the hand and wrist

“…Understanding the somatosensorial system of the hand and wrist is important for clinicians working in the field of geriatric rehabilitation and hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. Even though there are studies in the literature that aging affects the sensation of the hand and the wrist 3,4,6,7 , in the light of our current knowledge, no studies in which the joint position sense, grip sensitivity, pressure sensitivity, vibration, sensory threshold and two-point discrimination sensations of the hand and the wrist in young and old people were evaluated together have been encountered. Therefore the aim of our study is to evaluate the hand and wrist sensory parameters of young and geriatric people and to reveal the sensorial differences in young and geriatric hands and wrists.…”

“…Key words: geriatrics, hand, proprioception, sensation, wrist changes associated with aging 2 . When the literature is examined, there are studies showing that the joint position sense 3,4 , vibration 5 , sensory threshold 6 and two-point discrimination 7 of the hand and the wrist are negatively affected as a result of the aging. However, no studies that show what an effect the senses of grip and pressure sensitivity, which are known to be a parameter of the proprioceptive sensation, healthy aging, have on the hand and the wrist have been encountered in the light of our current knowledge.…”