Tactile experience does not ameliorate age-related reductions in sensory function

BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Sensory function degrades with age, with well-established reductions in tactile spatial acuity, vibrotactile sensitivity, and thermosensation, to name but three aspects of perception. Such age-related losses might be partially stemmed by ongoing experience with tasks requiring high levels of manual dexterity or analogous tactile expertise; individuals who are highly expert in skills that have a fundamental tactile component can show improved tactile function as compared with nonexperts.

Eighty individuals (17 males, 63 females) in the 18-58 age range were assessed on their tactile experience, as measured by self-assessment on a variety of tasks and competencies, each of which required a high level of skill with the hands. Tactile sensory performance, manual dexterity ("haptic efficiency"), and the subjective response to tactile stimulation were quantified.

Degradation in tactile sensory acuity with age was confirmed, but no strong evidence was found for variations in acuity contingent on the tactile expertise of participants. In contrast to the performance measures, differences in tactile experience were associated with differences in the subjective response to touch. Greater tactile experience was associated with the provision of richer descriptions of textured materials manipulated with the digits.

The range of tactile experience reported in a convenience sample of the population was apparently insufficient to preserve sensory function during aging.