ERIC Number: EJ1006434
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jun
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-2626
EISSN: N/A
Aging in Movement Representations for Sequential Finger Movements: A Comparison between Young-, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults
Cacola, Priscila; Roberson, Jerroed; Gabbard, Carl
Brain and Cognition, v82 n1 p1-5 Jun 2013
Studies show that as we enter older adulthood (greater than 64 years), our ability to mentally represent action in the form of using motor imagery declines. Using a chronometry paradigm to compare the movement duration of imagined and executed movements, we tested young-, middle-aged, and older adults on their ability to perform sequential finger (fine-motor) movements. The task required number recognition and ordering and was presented in three levels of complexity. Results for movement duration indicated no differences between young- and middle-aged adults, however both performed faster than the older group. In regard to the association between imagined and executed actions, correlation analyses indicated that values for all groups were positive and moderate (r's 0.80, 0.76, 0.70). In summary, whereas the older adults were significantly slower in processing actions than their younger counterparts, the ability to mentally represent their actions was similar. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Older Adults, Aging (Individuals), Comparative Analysis, Adults, Young Adults, Psychomotor Skills, Task Analysis, Correlation, Cognitive Processes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A