L15 & L18 Aging/Dual Task Paradigm; Motor Development

bradykinesia

aging often results in _______

• slowing of movements = slower reaction time and speed of daily activities

ataxia

as we age, ______ increases,

• reduced smoothness or uncoordinated/clumsy movements = reduced balance and coordination

apraxia

aging increases _____

• decreased accuracy and precision

• difficulty in planning and executing skilled movements

• impacts fine motor tasks

resistance, delayed, force production, postural

aging affects motor perfromance by:

• lower 1. _______ to pertubation: older adults struggle to maintain balance when facing unexpected disruption → increasing fall risk

• 2. ________ movement initiation and execution

• increased unintended 3. ______ ________: co-contraction of agonsit and antagonist muscles increase with cause → stiffness and reduces efficiency

• decline in 4. ________ control and gait stability: instability and shuffle gait makes precise coordination challenging

cognitive resources

as we age, the availability of ________ ________ decline due to losses of brain regions (prefrontal cortex and anterior corpus callosum: are crucial for attention, planning, and executive function)

• this means less mental reserve to handle the increasing demands of motor tasks

cognitive demand

as we age, _______ _____ required to perfrom motor tasks increase

• due to differential losses in brain regions important for motor control (motor coretex and cerebellum) → hard to control coordination

generation, processing

aging affects the 1. _______ and 2. ________ of sensory information, which in turn influences movement control and coordination

increased, visual

older adults have 1. _______ reliance on 2. _______ feedback to guide thier movements, competating for decline in ot

movement variability

older adults exhibit increased _________ _________ , differences in movement characteristics, showing that motor control system isn’t as precise and stable

• due to changes in sesnory processing, motor control, and muscle function

muscle mass, motor unit, type 2, larger, strength

Aging impacts muscle function and motor control by:

• sarcopernia onset: decreasing overall 1. _______ _____ → losing stregnth/mobility

• structure: reduction in 2. _____ ______ number and size

• fiber shift: decline in 3. _____ ___ (fast twicth) fibers → slower reaction time and decreased power output

• Motor unit remodeling: surviving motor neurons reinnervated orphaned fibers causing 4. ____ but less precise motor units

• decline in overall _____ (loss of 1% per year)

anabolic resistance

is the reduced ability to response to stimuli related to metabolism (Ex. nutrition and exercise)

• results in impaired muscle protein synthesus and insurffient suppression of msucle protein break down

power

_____ declines more rapidly than strength and declines at 6-11% per decade beginning at age 20

muscle atrophy

loss of muscle mass called ______ ______, reduces force generation

contraction, relaxation

aging slows muscle _______ and _______, which reduces movement speed and significantly diminishes power strength

strength training

_______ ________ is very important as we age:

• it improves force production and reduces co-contraction

  • leads to smoother more controlled movements

co-contraction

is the simultaneous contraction of opposing muscles

• is commonly seen in elderly and leads to stiffness and inefficient movement

alpha motor neurons, dennervation, slower, fatigue

changing in the CNS as we age:

• decrease in cortical neurons in cortico-spinal tract and 1. ______ ______ ________

  • death in AMN leads to 2. _______ of muscle fibers

  • nearby AMN reinnervates these fibers → resulting in fewer, larger, and 3. _______ motor untis

    • larger motor units tend to 4. ______ faster

H, stretch, conduction, sensors

changes in sensory function as we age include:

• 1. __ and 2. ______ reflex demonstrate increased latency

  • due to decreased 3. ________ velocity

• loss of 4. ________ : fewer cutaneous receptors

contrast, depth, peripheral

visual system function declines with age:

• need more 1. _______ (stimulus clarity)

• poor 2. _____ perception

• progressive loss of 3. _________ vision

hypertension

lower cognitive function is linked to __________ (high BP)

• reduced blood flow affects brain areas critical for planning and decision making

fitness

physical _______ supports memory, attention, and executive control (planning and decision making) in older adults

executive control

______ _______ is most affected by exercise

• exercise boosts finctions like planning, inhibition, coordination, and working memory

• supports independence and adaptabiloty in daily tasks

dual task paradigm

a research method where participants perform two tasks simultaneously to investigate how performing multiple tasks at once affects performance and resource allocation

• most individuals will devote more attention to one task over the other

relexive movement phase

0-4 months

• the earliest phase of motor development where reflexes dominate movement

• sub-cortex controls movement and serves as the foundation for voluntary movement

  • sucking, grapsing, moro reflex

rudimentary movement phase

0-2 years

• basic voluntary movements emerge as the child gains greater control of body

• inclides:

  • stability skills: control over head, neck, and trunk; learning to sit and stant unassisted

  • manipulative skills: actions like reaching, grapsing, and releasing objects

  • locomotive skkills: development of creeping, crawling, and walking

fundamental movement phase

ages 2-7

• children refine and combine basic skills into more complex patterns

• Evolution of skills: running, kicking, throwing, catching, and trapping a ball become prominent

• lay groundwork for sports specific activities

sports-related movement phase

7 yrs - adulthood

• skills progress from general to specific and ultimately specialized forms of mvoement

• involves application of movement skills in specific activities, focusing on perfromance, precision, and coordination

primitive reflex

involunatry movement present at birth that are controlled by brainstem

• curcial for survival and early sensory-motor development

• most fade by 4-6 months

rooting, moro, palmar grasp, babinski

primitive reflexes include:

1. ________ reflex: turns head toward cheek stimulus

2. _____ reflex: arms extend and retract in response to sudden movement/sound (startle response)

3. _______ _______ reflex: fingers curl around object placed in palm

4. ______ reflex: toes fan out when sole is stroked

postural reactions

automatic, adaptive movements that help infant maintain posture and balance

• energe as CNS matures

• essential for transitioning to voluntary motor skills (crawling, siting, walking)

• begin emerging around 4-6 months and mature through the first 18-24 months

locomotor reflexes

involuntary movements resembling future voluntary locomotion

• emerge in infancy, controlled by subcortical neural circuits

• serves as precursors to coordinated motor skills

• indicate healthy immune system

stepping, crawling, swimming

locomotor reflexes include:

1. _______ reflex: when held upright with feet toucking a surface, infant makes stepping motions

2. ______ reflex: placed on abdoment, infant makes crawling movement

3. _______ reflex: when placed in water, infant displays swimming like motions

motor cortex, cerebellum, myelination

• maturation of the 1. ______ _____ and 2. __________ enables fine motor control and coordination

• improved neural conductivity through 3. ________ enhances reaction times and movement precesion

autonomic reflexes

includes reflexes involved in maintaining basic bodily functions like breathing, swallowing, and heart beat regulation

birthweight, gestational

low 1. ________ and short 2. _________- age have been consistently associated with negative impact on infant gross motor development

preterm

infants born very _______ may experience motor impairments that affect thier development up to 16 yearas

tummy time

amount of time infant spends in prone position (aka ________ _____) has been linked to their gross motor development