RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Adaptation of reach action to a novel force-field is not predicted by acuity of dynamic proprioception in either older or younger adults
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.07.13.200733
DO 10.1101/2020.07.13.200733
A1 Nick M. Kitchen
A1 R Chris Miall
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/07/14/2020.07.13.200733.abstract
AB Healthy ageing involves degeneration of the neuromuscular system which impacts movement control and proprioception. Yet the relationship between these sensory and motor deficits in upper limb reaching has not been examined in detail. Recently, we reported that age-related proprioceptive deficits were unrelated to accuracy in rapid arm movements, but whether this applied in motor tasks more heavily dependent on proprioceptive feedback was not clear. To address this, we have tested groups of younger and older adults on a force-field adaptation task under either full or limited visual feedback conditions and examined how performance related to dynamic proprioceptive acuity. Adaptive performance was similar between the age groups, regardless of visual feedback condition, although older adults showed increased after-effects. Physically inactive individuals made larger systematic (but not variable) proprioceptive errors, irrespective of age. However, dynamic proprioceptive acuity was unrelated to adaptation and there was no consistent evidence of proprioceptive recalibration with adaptation to the force-field for any group. Finally, in spite of clear age-dependent loss of spatial working memory capacity, we found no relationship between memory capacity and adaptive performance or proprioceptive acuity. Thus, non-clinical levels of deficit in dynamic proprioception, due to age or physical inactivity, do not affect force-field adaptation, even under conditions of limited visual feedback that might require greater proprioceptive control.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.