Age-Related Motor Slowness: Simply Strategic?

Morgan, Michaela; Phillips, James G.; Bradshaw, John L.; Mattingley, Jason B.; Iansek, Robert; Bradshaw, Judy A.

doi:10.1093/geronj/49.3.m133

Cited by 135 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…These results of declining movement parameters with age are similar to those found earlier by others (Morgan et al, 1994;Bennett and Castiello, 1994;Pohl et al, 1996;Welford, 1988). Specifically, the elderly performances were slower than those of young participants as signified by lower peak velocities.…”

Section: Movement Strategysupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The principal cause of slowing down in the motor behaviour of aged individuals was attributed to the decline in sensorimotor processing in this age group as evidenced by slower movement time (Warabi et al, 1986, Morgan et al, 1994Pohl et al, 1996) or reaction time (Welford, 1988;Bennett and Castiello,1994) in performing discrete tasks. For example, Pohl and colleagues (1996) analysed target approach phase during performance of a reciprocal tapping task to random targets in a group of elderly participants.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Upper extremity movement pattern of a common drinking task in well elderly women: a pilot study

Maitra

Junkins

2004

Occupation Therapy Intl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Movement Strategysupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Upper extremity movement pattern of a common drinking task in well elderly women: a pilot study

Maitra

Junkins

2004

Occupation Therapy Intl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous studies have reported larger numbers of submovements associated with cursor movements during human-computer interaction (Maraj et al, 1998). In this study there were 2.87 submovements per trial on average, compared with 1.05 submovements when people used a stylus to move 125 mm to targets of 5, 10, or 20 mm diameter on a graphics tablet (Morgan et al, 1994). Nevertheless, there was little evidence that cursor orientation affected submovements, because there were no effects of manipulations on the number of submovements.…”

Section: Kinematic Analysismentioning

confidence: 46%

Effects of Cursor Orientation and Required Precision on Positioning Movements on Computer Screens

Phillips¹,

Meehan²,

Triggs³

2003

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Arrowhead cursors used within graphic-user interfaces include implicit directional cues that may not be compatible with desired axis of motion. In addition, arrowhead cursors may not afford the best cues for location, and such effects may be exacerbated when there is a greater need for precise cursor placement. To address the impact of the cursor's orientation on its positioning, 12 participants were required to move cursors (pointing arrows) leftward or rightward to targets (small, medium, or large) on a computer screen. Response latencies were influenced by compatibilities between movement direction and cursor shape but only when moderate levels of precision were required. Rightward movements were slower and less accurate, and movements were slower and less efficient when arrows pointed in compatible directions. Implicit directional cues only elicited compatibility effects with moderate precision requirements. Arrowhead cursors compatible with direction of motion led to slower cursor movements and less efficient cursor trajectories. Where response initiation is important, compatible arrowheads are beneficial, but if speed of cursor placement is an issue, an orientation neutral cursor with area effect might be preferable, or a more direct interface (e.g., touch-sensitive screen) might be more appropriate.

show abstract

“…The fact that older adults have had decades of practice with the preferred hand might suggest that older adults should exhibit large motor asymmetries, perhaps even to a greater extent than when young. Aging is, however, associated with changes in motor ability whereby movements become slower and less accurate over time (Desrosiers, Herbert, Bravo and Dutil 1995;Verkerk, Schouten and Oosterhuis 1990;Morgan, Phillips and Bradshaw et al 1994;Pohl, Winstein and Fisher 1995;Welsh, Higgins and Ketcham et al 2002). It is unclear whether this decline in motor ability alters the propensity toward motor asymmetries seen in younger adulthood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced motor asymmetry in older adults when manually tracing paths

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Handedness, a preference towards using the right or left hand, is established in early childhood. Such specialisation allows a higher level of skill to be maintained in the preferred hand on specific tasks through continuous practice and performance. Hand asymmetries might be expected to increase with age because of the time spent practising with the preferred hand. However, neurophysiological work has suggested reduced hemispheric function lateralisation in the aging brain, and behavioural studies have found reduced motor asymmetries in older adults (Przybla, Haaland, Bagesterio and Sainburg 2011). We therefore tested the predictions of behavioural change from reduced hemispheric function by measuring tracing performance (arguably one of the most lateralised of human behaviours) along paths of different thickness in a group of healthy young and older adults. Participants completed the task once with their preferred (right) hand and once with their non-preferred (left) hand. Movement Time (MT) and Shape Accuracy (SA) were dependant variables. A composite measure of MT and SA, the Speed Accuracy Cost Function (SACF) provided an overall measure of motor performance. Older participants were slower and less accurate when task demands were high. Combined analyses of both hands revealed reduced asymmetries in MT and SACF in the older group. The young were significantly faster when tracing with their preferred hand but older participants were equally slow with either hand. Our results are consistent with the growing literature reporting decreased hemispheric function lateralisation in the aging brain.

show abstract

Age-Related Motor Slowness: Simply Strategic?

Abstract: The results suggest a decline in motor coordination rather than any simple strategic preference for caution in movement. The hesitancy of movement to some extent parallels that seen in Parkinson's disease.

Cited by 135 publications

References 19 publications

Upper extremity movement pattern of a common drinking task in well elderly women: a pilot study

Upper extremity movement pattern of a common drinking task in well elderly women: a pilot study

Effects of Cursor Orientation and Required Precision on Positioning Movements on Computer Screens

Reduced motor asymmetry in older adults when manually tracing paths

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About