Correlates of measures of voluntary force with the functional state of the motor system

Oscillation spectra were analyzed for prolonged isometric force recorded in healthy subjects of three age groups. Changes in the distributions of spectral components of the oscillations in force were noted, along with differences in the distributions of spectral density as exhaustion developed in the age groups. The amplitude-frequency ranges of changes in the spectral densities of oscillations in force characterized the activity at the suprasegmental and segmental levels of the motor system which support the voluntary control and automatic regulation of posture during the performance of movements. Correlates of the functional state of the motor system are discussed in terms of the voluntary and involuntary components of control. A significant increase in activity in the central structures of the movement control system was seen with the development of exhaustion, along with decreases in the frequency range of the activity of subcortical structures with age.