Abstract
Older women were less accurate and required more time in tracing a triangle template by controlling the force on spring levers with three different finger combinations: a one-hand precision pinching movement, a bilateral index finger movement, and a left index finger and right thumb combination. Older subjects were disproportionately less accurate than young subjects when required to decouple the pinching movement and control the index finger and thumb independently. Effects of practice were similar for both age groups, except that the elderly increased behavioral speed more from the first to the second day of practice. Explanations for the findings were based on neurosynergistic-intentional control interactions, visuospatial deficits in the elderly, and older subjects’ predisposition to perseverate.
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Spirduso, W.W., Choi, J. (1993). Age and Practice Effects on Force Control of the Thumb and Index Fingers in Precision Pinching and Bilateral Coordination. In: Stelmach, G.E., Hömberg, V. (eds) Sensorimotor Impairment in the Elderly. NATO ASI Series, vol 75. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1976-4_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1976-4_24
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