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Movement control of the cervical spine declines with aging: a cross-sectional study
Izabela Luznik1, Maja Pajek1, Ziva Majcen Rosker1
1Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
|January 28, 2025
Summary
Cervical spine movement control declines with age in adults. This study found that advancing age significantly impacts amplitude accuracy, time on target, and undershoot in head and neck movements.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Previous research indicates age-related decline in cervical spine position sense.
- The impact of aging on cervical spine movement control is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between age and cervical spine movement control in asymptomatic adults.
- To quantify age-related changes in head and neck movement control parameters.
Main Methods:
- 105 asymptomatic adults (21-79 years) participated.
- The Butterfly test using an inertial measurement unit assessed cervical spine movement control.
- Parameters measured included amplitude accuracy, time on target, undershoot, and overshoot at varying difficulty levels.
Main Results:
- Advancing age significantly correlated with reduced amplitude accuracy, time on target, and increased undershoot (p ≤ .001).
- Age explained 19.8-37.2% of the variance in these movement control parameters.
- No significant relationship was found for the overshoot parameter (p > .05).
Conclusions:
- Cervical spine movement control deteriorates with aging in asymptomatic individuals.
- Clinicians should consider assessing cervicocephalic kinesthesia in older adults due to potential functional impacts.
