Age Peculiarities of Human Motor Control in Aging

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Abstract
A clinicophysiological investigation of motor control was carried out in 199 apparently healthy, socially active elderly (aged 60-69 yr) and long-living (.gtoreq. 90 yr) subjects to establish the peculiarities of the motor sphere specific to age-related changes of the nervous system. In an analysis of the experimentally induced state of readiness (intention) before a spontaneous movement, an increase with age in the latent period of the muscle intentional activity (IA) was found parallel to an increase in the latent period of the spontaneous movement, a decrease in IA amplitude with more frequent structural deviations of the EMG in the prestarting period and a reduction of the required IA selectiveness. The described changes in the organization of readiness for a spontaneous movement seemed to be related to age impairment of supraspinal (mainly corticospinal) influences and may be used for an explanation of a number of clinical peculiarities of human motor control in late ontogenesis.

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