scholarly journals Older adults learn less, but still reduce metabolic cost, during motor adaptation

2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen J. Huang ◽  
Alaa A. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Motor Adaptation ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Gas Analysis ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Expired Gas Analysis ◽  
Expired Gas

The ability to learn new movements and dynamics is important for maintaining independence with advancing age. Age-related sensorimotor changes and increased muscle coactivation likely alter the trial-and-error-based process of adapting to new movement demands (motor adaptation). Here, we asked, to what extent is motor adaptation to novel dynamics maintained in older adults (≥65 yr)? We hypothesized that older adults would adapt to the novel dynamics less well than young adults. Because older adults often use muscle coactivation, we expected older adults to use greater muscle coactivation during motor adaptation than young adults. Nevertheless, we predicted that older adults would reduce muscle activity and metabolic cost with motor adaptation, similar to young adults. Seated older ( n = 11, 73.8 ± 5.6 yr) and young ( n = 15, 23.8 ± 4.7 yr) adults made targeted reaching movements while grasping a robotic arm. We measured their metabolic rate continuously via expired gas analysis. A force field was used to add novel dynamics. Older adults had greater movement deviations and compensated for just 65% of the novel dynamics compared with 84% in young adults. As expected, older adults used greater muscle coactivation than young adults. Last, older adults reduced muscle activity with motor adaptation and had consistent reductions in metabolic cost later during motor adaptation, similar to young adults. These results suggest that despite increased muscle coactivation, older adults can adapt to the novel dynamics, albeit less accurately. These results also suggest that reductions in metabolic cost may be a fundamental feature of motor adaptation.

scholarly journals Quadrupedal Locomotion–Respiration Entrainment and Metabolic Economy in Cross-Country Skiers

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Boldt ◽  
Anthony Killick ◽  
Walter Herzog
Keyword(s):  
Breathing Pattern ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Gas Analysis ◽  
Running Economy ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Expired Gas Analysis ◽  
Gait Mechanics ◽  
Expired Gas ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Cross Country

A 1:1 locomotion–respiration entrainment is observed in galloping quadrupeds, and is thought to improve running economy. However, this has not been tested directly in animals, as animals cannot voluntarily disrupt this entrainment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate metabolic economy in a human gait involving all four limbs, cross-country skiing, in natural entrainment and forced nonentrainment. Nine elite cross-country skiers roller skied at constant speed using the 2-skate technique. In the first and last conditions, athletes used the natural entrained breathing pattern: inhaling with arm recovery and exhaling with arm propulsion, and in the second condition, the athletes disentrained their breathing pattern. The rate of oxygen uptake (VO2) and metabolic rate (MR) were measured via expired gas analysis. Propulsive forces were measured with instrumented skis and poles. VO2 and MR increased by 4% and 5% respectively when skiers used the disentrained compared with the entrained breathing pattern. There were no differences in ski or pole forces or in timing of the gait cycle between conditions. We conclude that breathing entrainment reduces metabolic cost of cross-country skiing by approximately 4%. Further, this reduction is likely a result of the entrainment rather than alterations in gait mechanics.

scholarly journals Age-Related Decline in Pragmatic Reasoning of Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 703-704
Author(s):  
W Quin Yow ◽  
Jia Wen Lee ◽  
Xiaoqian Li
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Visible Object ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Pragmatic Reasoning

Abstract As speech is often ambiguous, pragmatic reasoning—the process of integrating multiple sources of information including semantics, ostensive cues and contextual information (Bohn & Frank, 2019)—is essential to understanding a speaker’s intentions. Despite current literature suggesting that certain social cognitive processes such as gaze-processing (Slessor et al., 2014) appear to be impaired in late adulthood, it is not well understood if pragmatic reasoning decline with age. Here, we examined young adults’ (aged 19-25; n=41) and older adults’ (aged 60-79; n=41) ability to engage in pragmatic reasoning in a cue integration task. In Experiment 1, participants had to integrate contextual (participants and speaker knew there were two novel objects but the latter could only see one), semantic (“There’s the [novel-label]” or “Where’s the [novel-label]”), and gaze (speaker looked at the mutually-visible object) cues to identify the referent (Nurmsoo & Bloom, 2008). In Experiment 2, participants received contextual and semantic cues less gaze cue. In both experiments, the target referent object for “There” and “Where” trials was the mutually-visible object and the object the speaker could not see respectively. Overall, young adults outperformed older adults, even in the simpler two-cue Experiment 2 (ps<.006). While older adults were significantly above chance in “There” trials for both experiments as well as “Where” trials in Experiment 2 (ps<.05), they had specific difficulty in integrating three cues in “Where” trials, where a more sophisticated interpretation of the multiple cues was required (p=.42). Our findings provide important insights into an age-related decline of pragmatic reasoning in older adults.

scholarly journals Metabolic cost in healthy fit older adults and young adults during overground and treadmill walking

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sauvik Das Gupta ◽  
Maarten Bobbert ◽  
Herre Faber ◽  
Dinant Kistemaker
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Walking Speed ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Treadmill Walking ◽  
Afternoon Session ◽  
Overground Walking ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Per Se

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether net metabolic cost of walking is affected by age per se. Methods We selected 10 healthy, active older adults (mean age 75 years) and 10 young adults (mean age 26 years), and determined their preferred overground walking speed. On the same day, in a morning and afternoon session, we had them walk at that speed overground and on a treadmill while we measured oxygen consumption rate. From the latter we subtracted the rate in sitting and calculated net metabolic cost. Results Anthropometrics were not different between the groups nor was preferred walking speed (1.27 m s−1 both groups). There was no difference in net metabolic cost of overground walking between older and young adults (e.g., in the morning 2.64 and 2.56 J kg−1 m−1, respectively, p > 0.05). In the morning session, net metabolic cost of walking was higher on the treadmill than overground in our older adults by 0.6 J kg−1 m−1 (p < 0.05), but not in young adults. Conclusion First, there is no effect of age per se on metabolic cost of overground walking. Second, older adults tend to have higher metabolic cost of walking on a treadmill than walking overground at preferred speed, and adaptation may take a long time. The commonly reported age-related elevation of metabolic cost of walking may be due to confounding factors causing preferred walking speed to be lower in older adults, and/or due to older adults reacting differently to treadmill walking than young adults.

scholarly journals Bicycling Exercise Helps Maintain a Youthful Metabolic Cost of Walking in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Daniel H. Aslan ◽  
Joshua M. Collette ◽  
Justus D. Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Minimal Effect ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Walking Performance ◽  
Walking Economy

The decline of walking performance is a key determinant of morbidity among older adults. Healthy older adults have been shown to have a 15–20% lower walking economy compared with young adults. However, older adults who run for exercise have a higher walking economy compared with older adults who walk for exercise. Yet, it remains unclear if other aerobic exercises yield similar improvements on walking economy. The purpose of this study was to determine if regular bicycling exercise affects walking economy in older adults. We measured metabolic rate while 33 older adult “bicyclists” or “walkers” and 16 young adults walked on a level treadmill at four speeds between (0.75–1.75 m/s). Across the range of speeds, older bicyclists had a 9–17% greater walking economy compared with older walkers (p = .009). In conclusion, bicycling exercise mitigates the age-related deterioration of walking economy, whereas walking for exercise has a minimal effect on improving walking economy.

scholarly journals Analysis of Vertical Micro Acceleration While Standing Reveals Age-Related Changes

Geriatrics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Tadayoshi Minamisawa ◽  
Noboru Chiba ◽  
Kaori Inoue ◽  
Tatsuya Nakanowatari ◽  
Eizaburo Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Maximum Amplitude ◽  
Vertical Acceleration ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effects Of Aging

In this study, we investigated the fluctuation characteristics of micro vertical acceleration of center of mass (vCOMacc) in standing and examined the usefulness of vCOMacc as an aging marker for standing control abilities. Sixteen young and 18 older adults participated in this experiment. Data for vCOMacc were calculated as the vertical ground reaction force value divided by each participant’s body mass using a force plate. The COMacc frequency structure was determined using the continuous wavelet transform to analyze the relative frequency characteristics. For time domain analysis, we determined the root mean square (RMS) and maximum amplitude (MA) of the integrated power spectral density. We also analyzed the correlation between vCOMacc and lower limb muscle activity. The relative frequency band of vCOMacc was higher in older than young adults, and the time domain indicators were sufficient to distinguish the effects of aging. Regarding the relationship between vCOMacc during standing and muscle activity, a correlation was found with the soleus muscle in young adults, while it was moderately correlated with the gastrocnemius muscle in older adults. The cause of vCOM may be related to differences in muscle activity, and vCOMacc may be utilized to more easily assess the effects of aging in standing control.

Inefficient Encoding as an Explanation for Age-Related Deficits in Recollection-Based Processing

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Friedman ◽  
Ray Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Semantic Retrieval ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Face ◽  
Episodic Memories

A cardinal feature of aging is a decline in episodic memory (EM). Nevertheless, there is evidence that some older adults may be able to “compensate” for failures in recollection-based processing by recruiting brain regions and cognitive processes not normally recruited by the young. We review the evidence suggesting that age-related declines in EM performance and recollection-related brain activity (left-parietal EM effect; LPEM) are due to altered processing at encoding. We describe results from our laboratory on differences in encoding- and retrieval-related activity between young and older adults. We then show that, relative to the young, in older adults brain activity at encoding is reduced over a brain region believed to be crucial for successful semantic elaboration in a 400–1,400-ms interval (left inferior prefrontal cortex, LIPFC; Johnson, Nessler, & Friedman, 2013 ; Nessler, Friedman, Johnson, & Bersick, 2007 ; Nessler, Johnson, Bersick, & Friedman, 2006 ). This reduced brain activity is associated with diminished subsequent recognition-memory performance and the LPEM at retrieval. We provide evidence for this premise by demonstrating that disrupting encoding-related processes during this 400–1,400-ms interval in young adults affords causal support for the hypothesis that the reduction over LIPFC during encoding produces the hallmarks of an age-related EM deficit: normal semantic retrieval at encoding, reduced subsequent episodic recognition accuracy, free recall, and the LPEM. Finally, we show that the reduced LPEM in young adults is associated with “additional” brain activity over similar brain areas as those activated when older adults show deficient retrieval. Hence, rather than supporting the compensation hypothesis, these data are more consistent with the scaffolding hypothesis, in which the recruitment of additional cognitive processes is an adaptive response across the life span in the face of momentary increases in task demand due to poorly-encoded episodic memories.

scholarly journals Reduced Achilles Tendon Stiffness Disrupts Calf Muscle Neuromechanics in Elderly Gait

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Krupenevich ◽  
Owen N. Beck ◽  
Gregory S. Sawicki ◽  
Jason R. Franz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Calf Muscle ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Joint Work ◽  
Tendon Stiffness ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Ankle Muscle ◽  
Metabolic Energy Expenditure

Older adults walk slower and with a higher metabolic energy expenditure than younger adults. In this review, we explore the hypothesis that age-related declines in Achilles tendon stiffness increase the metabolic cost of walking due to less economical calf muscle contractions and increased proximal joint work. This viewpoint may motivate interventions to restore ankle muscle-tendon stiffness, improve walking mechanics, and reduce metabolic cost in older adults.

Does proprioceptive acuity influence the extent of implicit sensorimotor adaptation in young and older adults?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koenraad Vandevoorde ◽  
Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sensory Integration ◽  
Prediction Error ◽  
Motor Adaptation ◽  
Sensorimotor Adaptation ◽  
Proprioceptive Information ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Sensory Prediction

The ability to adjust movements to changes in the environment declines with aging. This age-related decline is caused by the decline of explicit adjustments. However, implicit adaptation remains intact and might even be increased with aging. Since proprioceptive information has been linked to implicit adaptation, it might well be that an age-related decline in proprioceptive acuity might be linked to the performance of older adults in implicit adaptation tasks. Indeed, age-related proprioceptive deficits could lead to altered sensory integration with an increased weighting of the visual sensory-prediction error. Another possibility is that reduced proprioceptive acuity results in an increased reliance on predicted sensory consequences of the movement. Both these explanations led to our preregistered hypothesis: we expected a relation between the decline of proprioception and the amount of implicit adaptation across ages. However, we failed to support this hypothesis. Our results question the existence of reliability-based integration of visual and proprioceptive signals during motor adaptation.

Mechanism of Sequential Swallowing During Straw Drinking in Healthy Young and Older Adults

2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K. Daniels ◽  
David M. Corey ◽  
Leslie D. Hadskey ◽  
Calli Legendre ◽  
Daniel H. Priestly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Significant Relation ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Laryngeal Penetration ◽  
Airway Invasion ◽  
Edge Location

Recent research has revealed differences between isolated and sequential swallowing in healthy young adults; however, the influence of normal aging on sequential swallowing has not been studied. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of normal aging on deglutition during sequential straw drinking. Videofluoroscopic samples of two 10-s straw drinking trials were obtained for 20 healthy young men (age 29±3 years) and 18 healthy older men (age 69±7 years). Hyolaryngeal complex (HLC) movement patterns, leading edge of the bolus location at swallow onset, and occurrences of airway invasion were determined. Two HLC patterns were identified: (a) HLC lowering with the epiglottis returned to upright between swallows and (b) partially maintained HLC elevation with the epiglottis inverted between swallows. The bolus was frequently in the hypopharynx at swallow onset. Strong associations were identified between age and HLC pattern, age and leading edge of the bolus location, and HLC pattern and leading edge location. Laryngeal penetration was uncommon overall; however, it occurred more frequently in the older adults than in the young adults. A significant relation was identified between age and the average Penetration-Aspiration Scale score. Laryngeal penetration was associated with both HLC movement patterns and hypopharyngeal bolus location, particularly in older adults. Results indicate that subtle age-related differences are evident in healthy young and older adults with sequential straw drinking. These data suggest that specific inherent swallowing patterns may increase the risk of laryngeal penetration with normal aging.

Processing gender stereotypes in dementia patients and older healthy adults: a self-paced reading study

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (s2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Müller-Feldmeth ◽  
Katharina Ahnefeld ◽  
Adriana Hanulíková
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Healthy Adults ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Age Related

AbstractWe used self-paced reading to examine whether stereotypical associations of verbs with women or men as prototypical agents (e.g. the craftsman knits a sweater) are activated during sentence processing in dementia patients and healthy older adults. Effects of stereotypical knowledge on language processing have frequently been observed in young adults, but little is known about age-related changes in the activation and integration of stereotypical information. While syntactic processing may remain intact, semantic capacities are often affected in dementia. Since inferences based on gender stereotypes draw on social and world knowledge, access to stereotype information may also be affected in dementia patients. Results from dementia patients (n = 9, average age 86.6) and healthy older adults (n = 14, average age 79.5) showed slower reading times and less accuracy in comprehension scores for dementia patients compared to the control group. While activation of stereotypical associations of verbs was visible in both groups, they differed with respect to the time-course of processing. The effect of stereotypes on comprehension accuracy was visible for healthy adults only. The evidence from reading times suggests that older adults with and without dementia engage stereotypical inferences during reading, which is in line with research on young adults.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document