Performance and muscle activity during computer mouse tasks in young and elderly adults

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Gerontology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Age significantly impacts motor control and performance in daily tasks.
• Understanding age-related changes in muscle activity is crucial for designing accessible interfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of age on computer mouse task performance and associated muscle activity.
• To compare motor control and muscle activation between young and elderly women.

Main Methods:

• Participants: 8 young (25 yrs) and 9 elderly (63 yrs) women.
• Tasks: Computer mouse tasks with varying motor control demands.
• Measurements: Performance metrics (speed, error rate) and electromyography (EMG) of forearm, shoulder, and neck muscles.

Main Results:

• Elderly women were 13-18% slower in self-paced tasks and had higher error rates in predefined speed tasks.
• Double-clicking showed the highest error rate increase in the elderly.
• Higher overall muscle activity (EMG) was observed in elderly women, particularly in forearm extensors.

Conclusions:

• Reduced performance in elderly users is linked to proprioception decline, motor unit changes, and central nervous system alterations.
• Increased muscle activity in the elderly may compensate for impaired motor control.
• User interface design should account for age-related motor control differences to benefit all users.