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Abstract
Although bimanual finger coordination is known to decline with aging, it still remains unclear how exactly the neural substrates underlying the coordination differ between young and elderly adults. The present study focused on: (1) characterization of the functional connectivity within the motor association cortex which is required for successful bimanual finger coordination, and (2) to elucidate upon its age-related decline. To address these objectives, we utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in combination with structural equation modeling (SEM). This allowed us to compare functional connectivity models between young and elderly age groups during a visually guided bimanual finger movement task using both stable in-phase and complex anti-phase modes. Our SEM exploration of functional connectivity revealed significant age-related differences in connections surrounding the PMd in the dominant hemisphere. In the young group who generally displayed accurate behavior, the SEM model for the anti-phase mode exhibited significant connections from the dominant PMd to the non-dominant SPL, and from the dominant PMd to the dominant S1. However, the model for the elderly group's anti-phase mode in which task performance dropped, did not exhibit significant connections within the aforementioned regions. These results suggest that: (1) the dominant PMd acts as an intermediary to invoke intense intra- and inter-hemispheric connectivity with distant regions among the higher motor areas including the dominant S1 and the non-dominant SPL in order to achieve successful bimanual finger coordination, and (2) the distant connectivity among the higher motor areas declines with aging, whereas the local connectivity within the bilateral M1 is enhanced for the complex anti-phase mode. The latter may underlie the elderly's decreased performance in the complex anti-phase mode of the bimanual finger movement task.
Highlights
In daily activities, it is essential to coordinate one’s finger movements in tune with information from the environment
PARTICIPANTS Twenty healthy young adults (10 males; age range: 19–39, M = 25.2, SD = 5.5) and 20 healthy elderly adults (11 males; age range: 61–74, M = 68.2, SD = 4.0) participated in the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment in accordance with the ethical principles stated in the Helsinki Declaration, after giving written informed consent
The most salient age difference concerning movement accuracy can be found at the 1.5 Hz pacing frequency for the anti-phase mode (M = 91.8% for young, M = 38.7% for elderly), while both age groups showed relatively high accuracy for the in-phase mode (M = 98.3% for young, M = 86.8% for elderly)
Summary
It is essential to coordinate one’s finger movements in tune with information from the environment. Well-coordinated voluntary movements of bimanual fingers allow for various complex tasks such as grooming, cooking and sewing. Such tasks typically require independent bimanual finger movements involving proper timing while observing the specific objects involved (i.e., visuo-motor coordination). An effective detection of age-related decline in finger coordination tasks may offer an important indicator regarding the need to initiate treatment to delay the progression of dementia. It still remains unclear how the neural substrates for the finger coordination change with aging, especially for complex bimanual finger control
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