Age-Related Changes in Upper Extremity Kinesthesis

While age-related decreases in lower extremity kinesthesis have been reported, age-related changes in upper extremity kinesthesis are minimally documented. This study compares kinesthetic acuity and kinesthetic memory in younger and older adults and establishes test-retest reliability of the testing devices. Subjects included thirty-six normal 20–29-year-olds and thirty-six normal 60–69-year-olds. Kinesthetic acuity and kinesthetic memory were assessed using a ramp and stencil device, respectively. Younger subjects exhibited significantly lower thresholds for kinesthetic acuity than older subjects (p = 0.049), and less error on the kinesthetic memory test than older subjects (p < 0.000).

[1]  R L Sainburg,et al.  Control of limb dynamics in normal subjects and patients without proprioception. , 1995, Journal of neurophysiology.

[2]  D. McCloskey,et al.  Proprioceptive sensation at the terminal joint of the middle finger. , 1983, The Journal of physiology.

[3]  S Stroeve.  Analysis of the role of proprioceptive information during arm movements using a model of the human arm. , 1999, Motor control.

[4]  R. Petrella,et al.  Effect of age and activity on knee joint proprioception. , 1997 .

[5]  R. Petrella,et al.  THE EFFECT OF AGE AND ACTIVITY ON KNEE‐JOINT PROPRIOCEPTION , 1996, American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation.

[6]  S. Grossberg,et al.  Cortical networks for control of voluntary arm movements under variable force conditions. , 1998, Cerebral cortex.

[7]  R. Schmidt,et al.  Motor control and learning: A behavioral emphasis, 4th ed. , 2005 .

[8]  Measurement of Kinaesthetic Sensitivity , 1986, Developmental medicine and child neurology.

[9]  J. I. Laszlo,et al.  Kinaesthetic Sensitivity to Passive Movements and its Relationship to Motor Development and Motor Control , 1981, Developmental medicine and child neurology.

[10]  H. Devanne,et al.  Role of proprioceptive information in the temporal coordination between joints , 1998, Experimental Brain Research.

[11]  A G Crenshaw,et al.  Position sense testing: influence of starting position and type of displacement. , 2000, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[12]  B Hughes,et al.  Perceptual learning of spatiotemporal events: evidence from an unfamiliar modality. , 1989, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[13]  Thresholds for sensing foot dorsi- and plantarflexion during upright stance: effects of age and velocity. , 1998, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[14]  J. Bullock-Saxton,et al.  The influence of age on weight-bearing joint reposition sense of the knee , 2000, Experimental Brain Research.

[15]  J. I. Laszlo,et al.  The Measurement of Kinaesthetic Sensitivity in Children and Adults , 1980, Developmental medicine and child neurology.

[16]  H. Skinner,et al.  Age‐related Decline in Proprioception , 1984, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[17]  J. Gordon,et al.  Impairments of reaching movements in patients without proprioception. I. Spatial errors. , 1995, Journal of neurophysiology.

[18]  J. Paillard,et al.  Active and passive movements in the calibration of position sense , 1968 .

[19]  A B Schultz,et al.  Association of age with the threshold for detecting ankle inversion and eversion in upright stance. , 1995, Age and ageing.

[20]  D. McCloskey,et al.  The contribution of muscle afferents to kinaesthesia shown by vibration induced illusions of movement and by the effects of paralysing joint afferents. , 1972, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[21]  R. Bossemeyer,et al.  Quantitative evaluation of joint motion sensation in an aging population. , 1978, Journal of gerontology.

[22]  T. Cornsweet,et al.  The staircrase-method in psychophysics. , 1962, The American journal of psychology.

[23]  M. Hurley,et al.  Quadriceps function, proprioceptive acuity and functional performance in healthy young, middle-aged and elderly subjects. , 1998, Age and ageing.

[24]  D. McCloskey.  Kinesthetic sensibility. , 1978, Physiological reviews.

[25]  D. McCloskey,et al.  Sensory effects of pulling or vibrating exposed tendons in man. , 1983, Brain : a journal of neurology.