title: Effects of age and psychomotor ability on kinematics of mouse-mediated aiming movement.
abstract: The objective of this research is to understand the influence of age and age-related psychomotor ability on the process of mouse-mediated aiming movement. It is premised on the notions that (1) mouse-mediated aiming movements can be better understood via studying its kinematics and (2) age is a surrogate variable in kinematic differences, and that age-influenced fundamental factors such as psychomotor ability may have a more direct effect. As expected, age kinematic differences were detected. However, when comparing with age, age-influenced psychomotor ability (i.e. manual dexterity) contributed more substantially to the variances of kinematics in the ballistic phase. For homing phase, in addition to manual dexterity, age-influenced wrist-finger speed was also a significant contributor. In future studies, it is suggested that components of visual processing should be included for better understanding of its role as an age-influenced fundamental ability in aiming movements. Applications of this research are discussed.
  This paper presents empirical data showing age effects in movement kinematics are chiefly mediated by age-related changes in psychomotor ability. Our findings provide additional data for existing and newer performance enhancement solutions, especially for those targeting older adults.
authors.affiliation: University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA. yuenkeen@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yuenkeen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Randa L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Shehab
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003201:Computers; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult