Cognitive and Tactile Factors Affecting Human Haptic Performance in Later Life

Tobias Kalisch,Martin Tegenthoff,Rebecca Kowalewski,Hubert R Dinse,Jan-Christoph Kattenstroth,Daniel Goldreich

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030420

Tobias Kalisch, Martin Tegenthoff + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030420

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Abstract

BackgroundVision and haptics are the key modalities by which humans perceive objects and interact with their environment in a target-oriented manner. Both modalities share higher-order neural resources and the mechanisms required for object exploration. Compared to vision, the understanding of haptic information processing is still rudimentary. Although it is known that haptic performance, similar to many other skills, decreases in old age, the underlying mechanisms are not clear. It is yet to be determined to what extent this decrease is related to the age-related loss of tactile acuity or cognitive capacity.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe investigated the haptic performance of 81 older adults by means of a cross-modal object recognition test. Additionally, we assessed the subjects' tactile acuity with an apparatus-based two-point discrimination paradigm, and their cognitive performance by means of the non-verbal Raven-Standard-Progressive matrices test. As expected, there was a significant age-related decline in performance on all 3 tests. With the exception of tactile acuity, this decline was found to be more distinct in female subjects. Correlation analyses revealed a strong relationship between haptic and cognitive performance for all subjects. Tactile performance, on the contrary, was only significantly correlated with male subjects' haptic performance.ConclusionsHaptic object recognition is a demanding task in old age, especially when it comes to the exploration of complex, unfamiliar objects. Our data support a disproportionately higher impact of cognition on haptic performance as compared to the impact of tactile acuity. Our findings are in agreement with studies reporting an increase in co-variation between individual sensory performance and general cognitive functioning in old age.

Highlights

Haptic perception Haptic object recognition is perfectly performed, countless times every day, as healthy adults can identify common and usual objects within 2–3 seconds with almost 100% accuracy [1]
Haptic object recognition is a demanding task in old age, especially when it comes to the exploration of complex, unfamiliar objects
Our findings are in agreement with studies reporting an increase in co-variation between individual sensory performance and general cognitive functioning in old age

Summary

Introduction

Haptic perception Haptic object recognition is perfectly performed, countless times every day, as healthy adults can identify common and usual objects within 2–3 seconds with almost 100% accuracy [1]. A large number of mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors embedded in the skin as well as mechanoreceptors in muscles, tendons, and articulated joints provide the information necessary for the active exploration of objects and surface properties [3]. This manual exploration process is based on a number of so-called exploratory procedures, i.e., highly stereotypical hand-movements, which are associated with certain object properties [4,1]. Vision and haptics are the key modalities by which humans perceive objects and interact with their environment in a target-oriented manner Both modalities share higher-order neural resources and the mechanisms required for object exploration. It is yet to be determined to what extent this decrease is related to the age-related loss of tactile acuity or cognitive capacity

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