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Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip

Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip

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Finger force coordination underlying object manipulation in the elderly - a mini-review.

Gudrun Diermayr¹, Tara L McIsaac, Andrew M Gordon

¹Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y., USA.

|March 13, 2010

Summary

Elderly individuals often increase grip force due to reduced tactile feedback or slippery skin, but anticipatory grip control is maintained for simple tasks. Complex daily activities reveal age-related declines in grip force coordination.

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Area of Science:

Gerontology
Neuroscience
Biomechanics

Background:

Manual dexterity declines with age, impacting daily activities and independence.
Understanding the causes of impaired manual dexterity in the elderly is crucial.
Fingertip force regulation during object manipulation in aging populations is a key research area.

Purpose of the Study:

To review studies on fingertip force coordination in the elderly.
To examine the relationship between age-related changes in grip force control and task nature.

Main Methods:

Literature search of Medline, Pubmed, and Web of Science (1985-2009).
Keywords included: grip force, grasp force, fingertip forces, precision grip, aging, elderly, hand motor control.

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Main Results:

Elderly individuals exhibit elevated grip force magnitudes, potentially due to increased skin slipperiness or reduced tactile information, leading to fatigue.
Anticipatory grip force control (planning) remains largely intact in older adults.
Age-related deficits in anticipatory grip control become apparent primarily during more complex tasks.

Conclusions:

Laboratory findings from simple tasks may not fully represent real-world functional impairments due to task complexity differences.
Expanding experimental paradigms to mimic daily living complexities is needed to better understand age-related manual dexterity impairments.
Clinical treatments should incorporate grasp control within the context of behaviorally relevant tasks for elderly individuals.