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Aging affects motor planning for grasping everyday objects: A case control study
Guillaume Galliou1, Lucette Toussaint1, Thomas Rulleau2
1Université de Poitiers, Université de Tours, CNRS, CeRCA, Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Poitiers, France.
Plos One
|April 20, 2026
Summary
Older adults experience slower motor planning for object grasping, impacting independence. This decline is linked to reduced manual dexterity and motor imagery skills in aging individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Anticipating object movement for grasping is crucial for older adults' independence and accident prevention.
- Normal aging's impact on motor planning for everyday object grasping requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how normal aging affects motor planning for grasping everyday objects.
- To compare motor planning abilities between young and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-nine participants were divided into young (18-30 years) and old (65+ years) groups.
- Assessed motor planning via an object-grasping judgment task.
- Evaluated manual dexterity (peg placement) and motor imagery (Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire).
Main Results:
- Older adults demonstrated longer response times in the object-grasping task compared to younger adults.
- The older group exhibited poorer manual dexterity.
- Response times in grasping correlated with manual dexterity and motor imagery skills in older adults.
Conclusions:
- Aging appears to slow information processing for motor planning rather than impairing the ability to form the plan itself.
- This motor planning difficulty in older adults is associated with declines in manual dexterity and motor imagery.
- Findings suggest specific age-related changes in the cognitive aspects of motor control.
