Association Between Executive Functions, Working Memory, and Manual Dexterity in Young and Healthy Older Adults

Abstract

Aging is accompanied by declines in cognitive and sensorimotor functions. However, at present, the interrelation between attentional processes and dexterity in aging has not been thoroughly addressed. This study explored the relationship between executive function, working memory, and dexterity performance in 15 young and 15 healthy elderly, right-handed participants. A modified version of the Purdue Pegboard Test was used for dexterity assessment. Two subtasks were selected to calculate temporal and kinematic parameters of reaching, grasping, transport, and insertion of pegs. Evaluation of executive function and working memory was performed using neuropsychological tests. The relationship between dexterity and cognitive outcomes were also examined. Results showed that the prehensile movements involved in grasping and their speed significantly differed between groups and correlated with executive function in the young group. For elderly adults, variability of hand movements turned out to be associated with executive abilities.

Manual dexterity in young and healthy older adults. 2. Association with cognitive abilities

“…This finding is consistent with the evidence that attention and WM are involved in normal control of dexterity (Baldauf & Deubel, 2010;Strenge et al, 2002). The present findings are somewhat in opposition to our pilot study (Rodríguez-Aranda et al, 2016), where EF was the ability most strongly related to dexterity measures in both young and older adults.…”

“…In Steinberg and Bock's (2013) study, focused attention was related to grasping performance with the right hand, and Strenge et al (2002) found a relationship between focused attention and dexterity of the left hand, as well as between divided attention and performance on the bimanual task of the Purdue Pegboard Test (Tiffin, 1968;Tiffin & Asher, 1948). In a recent pilot study (Rodríguez-Aranda, Mittner, & Vasylenko, 2016), our group documented a relationship between EF and variability of unimanual right hand movements in a modified Purdue Pegboard task. In a study of bimanual coordination, Bangert, Reuter-Lorenz, Walsh, and Schachter (2010) showed that WM and EF scores were associated with asynchronous circle tracing and finger tapping performance, respectively.…”

“…However, a dexterity task comprises different types of movements, such as aiming, reaching, grasping, and transport of objects, and these different movements may show varying degrees of decline in older adults. For example, in two studies performed by our group (Rodríguez-Aranda et al, 2016;Vasylenko, Gorecka, & Rodríguez-Aranda, 2018), older adults showed more slowing in grasping and inserting of pegs than in reaching for and transporting pegs in unimanual and bimanual tasks of the Purdue Pegboard test. Additionally, the extent of age-related VASYLENKO ET AL.…”

“…Support for the involvement of cognitive abilities in manual dexterity comes from several lines of research. In a recent pilot study (Rodríguez-Aranda, Mittner, & Vasylenko, 2016), our group documented a relationship between EF and variability of unimanual right hand movements in a modified Purdue Pegboard task. Two studies with young adults (Steinberg & Bock, 2013;Strenge, Niederberger, & Seelhorst, 2002) found relationships between attention and dexterity.…”

“…However, one limitation of the aforementioned studies is the lack of a comprehensive approach in which different cognitive capacities known to decline with aging are assessed alongside a detailed measurement of dexterity. Most of the previous investigations have restricted the evaluation of cognitive functions to attention and EF (Fraser et al, 2010;Steinberg & Bock, 2013;Strenge, Niederberger, & Seelhorst, 2002), although two studies also assessed WM (Bangert et al, 2010;Rodríguez-Aranda et al, 2016). However, to provide a complete understanding of the association between cognitive abilities and dexterity decline in aging, other cognitive functions that show substantial age-related decline, such as memory, should also be explored (Reuter-Lorenz & Park, 2010;Wang & Cabeza, 2017).…”