Page 33 - Petelin, Ana, Nejc Šarabon, eds. 2018. Zdravje starostnikov ▪︎ Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
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nges in the control of movement stability with age plenarna predavanja | plenary lectures
and age-related disorders
Mark L. Latash
268N Recreation Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA
16802
Introduction: Stability of everyday movements is crucial given the unpredicta-
ble external forces and continuously changing intrinsic body states. The lecture
will review a series of recent studies exploring the changes in movement sta-
bility with age and such age-related disorders as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and
stroke.
Methods: The studies used the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hy-
pothesis to quantify synergies stabilizing steady-state actions with indices of the
structure of variance and of motor equivalence, and synergy changes in prepa-
ration to quick actions (anticipatory postural adjustments, ASAs) during mul-
ti-finger tasks and multi-muscle postural tasks.
Results: Healthy aging is associated with a drop in both movement stability
(low synergy indices) and agility (shorter and smaller ASAs). PD is associat-
ed with stronger impairments of both stability and agility of actions. Dopa-
mine-replacement drugs improve both, while deep brain stimulation improves
agility but not stability. Stroke leads to impaired ASAs with no or little effects
of indices of stability. Specially designed exercise can improve stability indices in
the healthy elderly within a single session.
Discussion and conclusions: Analysis of motor synergies allows quantifying im-
pairments in both stability and agility of movements. It emphasizes the role of
subcortical structures in changed stability with age and age-related disorders.
Exercise challenging stability is a promising approach to these disorders.
Keywords: movement stability, synergy, anticipatory synergy adjustment,
Parkinson‘s disease, stroke
31
and age-related disorders
Mark L. Latash
268N Recreation Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA
16802
Introduction: Stability of everyday movements is crucial given the unpredicta-
ble external forces and continuously changing intrinsic body states. The lecture
will review a series of recent studies exploring the changes in movement sta-
bility with age and such age-related disorders as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and
stroke.
Methods: The studies used the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hy-
pothesis to quantify synergies stabilizing steady-state actions with indices of the
structure of variance and of motor equivalence, and synergy changes in prepa-
ration to quick actions (anticipatory postural adjustments, ASAs) during mul-
ti-finger tasks and multi-muscle postural tasks.
Results: Healthy aging is associated with a drop in both movement stability
(low synergy indices) and agility (shorter and smaller ASAs). PD is associat-
ed with stronger impairments of both stability and agility of actions. Dopa-
mine-replacement drugs improve both, while deep brain stimulation improves
agility but not stability. Stroke leads to impaired ASAs with no or little effects
of indices of stability. Specially designed exercise can improve stability indices in
the healthy elderly within a single session.
Discussion and conclusions: Analysis of motor synergies allows quantifying im-
pairments in both stability and agility of movements. It emphasizes the role of
subcortical structures in changed stability with age and age-related disorders.
Exercise challenging stability is a promising approach to these disorders.
Keywords: movement stability, synergy, anticipatory synergy adjustment,
Parkinson‘s disease, stroke
31
