Bilateral Grasp Force Coordination in Young and Old Adults.

TL;DRAbstract

The purpose of these experiments was to examine the coordination of bilateral isometric grasp force production in young and old adults during maximum and submaximum force tasks produced either simultaneously or sequentially. Thirty-six adults (12 young, 18-28y; 12 old, 65-75y and 12 old-old, 76-85y) participated in the first experiment involving maximum isometric grasp-grasp and grasp-pinch force. In the dominant hand, a force deficit was observed in bilateral compared to unilateral tasks in young adults during both maximum isometric grasp-grasp, -12 ± 5% (p < .05), and grasp-pinch, -20 ± 4% (p < .001), tasks. The force deficit was absent in the old group in both grasp, +4 ± 12%, and grasp-pinch, +5 ± 13%, tasks, as well as in the old-old group during both grasp, -9 ± 8%, and grasp-pinch, -9 ± 8%, tasks. Data therefore suggest that the force deficit is absent in both tasks with aging. These findings are consistent with the mechanism of transcallosal inhibition and degeneration of the c

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