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Published on: March 11, 2022
Performance in the cranio-cervical flexion test is altered in elderly subjects
Sureeporn Uthaikhup1, Gwendolen Jull
1Division of Physiotherapy, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia. s.uthaikhup@uq.edu.au
Manual Therapy
|January 28, 2009
Summary
Elderly individuals show poorer performance on the cranio-cervical flexion test (CCFT), exhibiting increased sternocleidomastoid muscle activity and reduced accuracy. These findings highlight age-related changes in neck muscle function.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
- Neurology
Background:
- Neck pain and headaches are prevalent in older adults.
- The cranio-cervical flexion test (CCFT) assesses deep and superficial cervical flexor muscle coordination.
- Age-related effects on CCFT performance are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare CCFT performance between healthy elderly and younger adults.
- To investigate age-related differences in cervical muscle function during CCFT.
Main Methods:
- Compared 44 elderly and 39 young asymptomatic participants.
- Measured sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle electromyographic (EMG) amplitude.
- Assessed cranio-cervical flexion angle and pressure targeting accuracy.
Main Results:
- Elderly subjects exhibited higher normalized SCM EMG amplitude (p<0.001).
- Older adults showed greater deviations from target pressures (p<0.01) and increased movement variability.
- These differences were particularly notable at higher pressure stages (26, 28, 30 mm Hg).
Conclusions:
- Age significantly impacts cranio-cervical flexion test performance.
- Clinicians should consider age-related functional changes when assessing elders with neck pain.
- Findings suggest altered deep and superficial cervical muscle coordination in older adults.
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