title: Preservation of perceptual integration improves temporal stability of bimanual coordination in the elderly: an evidence of age-related brain plasticity.
abstract: Despite the apparent age-related decline in perceptual-motor performance, recent studies suggest that the elderly people can improve their reaction time when relevant sensory information are available. However, little is known about which sensory information may improve motor behaviour itself. Using a synchronization task, the present study investigates how visual and/or auditory stimulations could increase accuracy and stability of three bimanual coordination modes produced by elderly and young adults. Neurophysiological activations are recorded with ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) to explore neural mechanisms underlying behavioural effects. Results reveal that the elderly stabilize all coordination modes when auditory or audio-visual stimulations are available, compared to visual stimulation alone. This suggests that auditory stimulations are sufficient to improve temporal stability of rhythmic coordination, even more in the elderly. This behavioural effect is primarily associated with increased attentional and sensorimotor-related neural activations in the elderly but similar perceptual-related activations in elderly and young adults. This suggests that, despite a degradation of attentional and sensorimotor neural processes, perceptual integration of auditory stimulations is preserved in the elderly. These results suggest that perceptual-related brain plasticity is, at least partially, conserved in normal aging.
authors.affiliation: PRISSMH-LAPMA, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Mélody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blais
authors.affiliation: PRISSMH-LAPMA, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: PRISSMH-LAPMA, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Albaret
authors.affiliation: PRISSMH-LAPMA, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France. Electronic address: jessica.tallet@univ-tlse3.fr.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tallet
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Auditory and visual stimulations; EEG; Inphase and antiphase coordination; Sensorimotor processes