Association Between Late-Life Social Activity and Motor Decline in Older Adults

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Abstract
Idiopathic decline in motor function is a familiar consequence of aging, with older persons displaying a wide spectrum of loss of motor abilities ranging from mild decreased muscle strength and bulk and reduced speed and dexterity to overt motor impairment with concomitant disability. The motor deficits observed in older persons have been subsumed under several terms including sarcopenia,1 physical frailty,2 and parkinsonian signs3 and are widely known to be related to adverse health outcomes including death,4,5 disability,6,7 and dementia.8,9 Although risk factors for common diseases known to cause motor dysfunction such as stroke are recognized, few risk factors for idiopathic motor decline have been identified.