Journal Article

FZJ-2024-03579

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Age- and sex-related changes in motor functions: a comprehensive assessment and component analysis

Wunderle, V. (Corresponding author) ; Kuzu, T. D. ; Tscherpel, C. ; Fink, G. R.FZJ* ; Grefkes, C. ; Weiss-Blankenhorn, P.FZJ*

2024
Frontiers Research Foundation Lausanne

This record in other databases:    

Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.3389/fnagi.2024.1368052  doi:10.34734/FZJ-2024-03579

Abstract: Age-related motor impairments often cause caregiver dependency or evenhospitalization. However, comprehensive investigations of the different motorabilities and the changes thereof across the adult lifespan remain sparse. We,therefore, extensively assessed essential basic and complex motor functionsin 444 healthy adults covering a wide age range (range 21 to 88 years). Basicmotor functions, here defined as simple isolated single or repetitive movementsin one direction, were assessed by means of maximum grip strength (GS) andmaximum finger-tapping frequency (FTF). Complex motor functions, comprisingcomposite sequential movements involving both proximal and distal joints/muscle groups, were evaluated with the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), theJebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTT), and the Purdue Pegboard Test. Menachieved higher scores than women concerning GS and FTF, whereas womenstacked more pins per time than men during the Purdue Pegboard Test. Therewas no significant sex effect regarding JTT. We observed a significant but taskspecificreduction of basic and complex motor performance scores across theadult lifespan. Linear regression analyses significantly predicted the participants’ages based on motor performance scores (R2 = 0.502). Of note, the ratiobetween the left- and right-hand performance remained stable across ages forall tests. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed three motor componentsacross all tests that represented dexterity, force, and speed. These componentswere consistently present in young (21–40 years), middle-aged (41–60 years),and older (61–88 years) adults, as well as in women and men. Based on thethree motor components, K-means clustering analysis differentiated high- andlow-performing participants across the adult life span. The rich motor data set of444 healthy participants revealed age- and sex-dependent changes in essentialbasic and complex motor functions. Notably, the comprehensive assessmentallowed for generating robust motor components across the adult lifespan. Ourdata may serve as a reference for future studies of healthy subjects and patientswith motor deficits. Moreover, these findings emphasize the importance ofcomprehensively assessing different motor functions, including dexterity, force,and speed, to characterize human motor abilities and their age-related decline

---

Contributing Institute(s):

1. Kognitive Neurowissenschaften (INM-3)

Research Program(s):

1. 5251 - Multilevel Brain Organization and Variability (POF4-525) (POF4-525)
2. DFG project 431549029 - SFB 1451: Schlüsselmechanismen normaler und krankheitsbedingt gestörter motorischer Kontrolle (431549029) (431549029)

Appears in the scientific report 2024

---

Database coverage:
; ; ; ; Article Processing Charges ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; DOAJ Seal ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

---