title: The impact of age and physical activity level on manual aiming performance.
abstract: Older adults traditionally adapt their discrete aiming movements, thereby traveling a larger proportion of the movement under closed-loop control. As the beneficial impact of a physically active lifestyle in older age has been described for several aspects of motor control, we compared the aiming performance of young controls to active and sedentary older adults. To additionally determine the contribution of visual feedback, aiming movements were executed with and without saccades. Results showed only sedentary older adults adopted the typical movement changes, highlighting the impact of a physically active lifestyle on manual aiming in older age. In an attempt to reveal the mechanism underlying the movement changes, evidence for an age-related decline in force control was found, which in turn resulted in an adapted aiming strategy. Finally, prohibiting saccades did not affect older adults' performance to a greater extent, suggesting they do not rely more on visual feedback than young controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Halewyck
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavrysen
authors.forename: Oron
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Digby
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Werner F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Helsen
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D056228:Feedback, Sensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D055815:Young Adult