Measuring Hand Sensory Function and Force Control in Older Adults: Are Current Hand Assessment Tools Enough?

Autor:	Logue RN; Motor Control Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA., Goldenkoff ER; Brain Behavior Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA., Vesia M; Brain Behavior Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA., Brown SH; Motor Control Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences [J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci] 2022 Jul 05; Vol. 77 (7), pp. 1405-1412.
DOI:	10.1093/gerona/glab368
Abstrakt:	Background: The ability to grasp and manipulate objects is essential for performing activities of daily living. However, there is limited information regarding age-related behavioral differences in hand sensorimotor function due, in part, to the lack of assessment tools capable of measuring subtle but important differences in hand function. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate performance differences in submaximal force control and tactile pattern recognition in healthy older adults using 2 custom-designed sensorimotor assessment tools. Methods: Sensorimotor function was assessed in 13 healthy older adults (mean age 72.2 ± 5.5 years, range: 65-84 years) and 13 young adults (mean age 20 ± 1.4 years, range: 19-23 years). Clinical assessments included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), monofilament testing, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and Grooved Pegboard Test. Sensorimotor assessments included submaximal (5, 20% MVC) grip force step-tracking and tactile pattern recognition tasks. Results: Clinical assessments revealed no or minimal group differences in MVC, monofilament thresholds, and MoCA. However, sensorimotor assessments showed that older adults took longer to discriminate tactile patterns and had poorer accuracy than young adults. Older adults also produced submaximal forces less smoothly than young adults at the 20% force level while greater variability in force maintenance was seen at 5% but not 20% MVC. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the ability to integrate higher-order tactile information and control low grip forces is impaired in older adults despite no differences in grip strength or cognition. These findings underscore the need for more sensitive evaluation methods that focus on sensorimotor ability reflective of daily activities. (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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