Association Between Gross-Motor and Executive Function Depends on Age and Motor Task Complexity

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Motor and executive functions are crucial for daily living.
• Understanding their interplay across the lifespan is vital for healthy aging research.
• The influence of motor task complexity on this relationship remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between motor and executive functions throughout adulthood.
• To determine if motor task complexity modulates the relationship between motor and executive functions.
• To examine age-related differences in motor-cognitive associations.

Main Methods:

• Recruited young, middle-aged, and older adults (n=82; ages 19-83).
• Assessed participants on two gross-motor tasks varying in complexity.
• Administered a Stroop-like computer task to measure executive function.

Main Results:

• Older adults exhibited decreased performance on both motor and cognitive tasks.
• A significant negative association (p=0.03, r=-0.41) was found between complex motor task performance and executive function in older adults.
• No significant associations were observed between motor and executive functions in young or middle-aged adults.

Conclusions:

• The association between gross-motor skills and executive function emerges in older adulthood.
• Motor complexity is a critical factor influencing the link between motor and executive functions with age.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering motor task demands in understanding cognitive aging.