Role of motor function and lung function in pathways to ageing and decline

Abstract

Background Extensive research has investigated the association between age changes in various domains, including lung function and motor function. However, a few analyses have tested models that incorporate bidirectional longitudinal influences between lung and motor function to test the temporal chain of events in the disability process. Dual change score models (DCSM) assist with identification of leading indicators of change by leveraging longitudinal data to examine the extent to which changes in one variable influence subsequent changes in a second variable, and vice versa. Aims The purpose of the current-analysis study was to apply DCSM to data from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of ageing to examine the nature of the longitudinal relationship between motor functioning and lung function. Methods Three motor functioning factors were created from 20 performance measures, including measures of balance, flexibility, and fine motor skills. Peak expiratory flow measured lung function. Participants were 829 adults aged 50-88 at the first of 9 waves of testing covering a 27-year follow-up period; 80% participated in at least three waves. Results Model comparisons indicated that decline in lung function preceded and contributed to subsequent decline in motor function. Discussion Combined with previous results, these results suggest that declining lung function results in increasing difficulties in motor function, which contribute to subsequent declines in multiple domains. Conclusion Understanding the cascade of events that can lead to dependence can help in the development of interventions targeted early in the disablement process.

Association of Pulmonary Function With Motor Function Trajectories and Disability Progression Among Older Adults: A Long-Term Community-Based Cohort Study

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically examine the impact of PF on long-term motor function trajectories and disability progression. Several population-based studies have addressed the association between different indicators of PF and specific motor abilities, but with inconsistent findings ( 8–13 , 16 ). A longitudinal study has shown that low PEF could result in impaired motor function, contributing to subsequent declines in balance and dexterity ( 8 ).…”

“…Several population-based studies have addressed the association between different indicators of PF and specific motor abilities, but with inconsistent findings ( 8–13 , 16 ). A longitudinal study has shown that low PEF could result in impaired motor function, contributing to subsequent declines in balance and dexterity ( 8 ). Another longitudinal study, also based on MAP, indicated that lower lung function, assessed by the composite PF indicator, is related to a 60% higher risk of gait speed limitation (gait speed ≤ 0.55 m/s) ( 16 ).…”

“…Several studies have reported low levels of individual PF indicators—including peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC)―were associated with lower motor function ( 8–11 ), but others found no significant association ( 12–14 ). A composite indicator of PF combining PEF, FEV1, and FVC can more comprehensively reflect pulmonary respiratory function, as it reflects both lung capacity and respiratory muscle function ( 15 ).…”

Genome-wide association study of musical beat synchronization demonstrates high polygenicity

“…We further explored these novel associations with genomic SEM, which revealed common genetic variance among beat synchronization and breathing function, musculoskeletal function, and cognitive function (with the latter three traits previously shown to be genetically interrelated during the aging process 80,81 ). Poor beat synchronization could be tied to certain health risks during aging, in light of other genetic and epidemiological work showing that lung function decline predicts later declines in motor function and psychomotor speed in older adults [109][110][111][112] . We replicated the positive genetic correlation between better beat synchronization ability (accuracy in tapping to the beat of musical excerpts) and lung capacity in our phenotype validation study, where we also found that better beat synchronization task performance was related to lower likelihood of shortness of breath.…”

“…In light of our genetic correlation between beat synchronization and three categories of traits (breathing, motor, and cognitive functions) previously shown to be genetically interrelated during the aging process 74,75 , we used genomic SEM to uncover shared genetic variance among beat synchronization and enhanced breathing function, greater grip strength, faster walking pace, and faster processing speed. Poor beat synchronization could be tied to certain health risks during aging, in light of other genetic and epidemiological work showing that lung function decline predicts later declines in motor function and psychomotor speed in older adults [107][108][109][110] .…”