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Effects of old age on fatigability and sensorimotor characteristics of a repetitive upper limb fatiguing task.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:1) Determine the effects of old age on sensorimotor responses to a fatiguing work-like task. 2) Explore how old age influences the relationships between task fatigability, everyday perceptions of fatigability, and sensorimotor function. METHODS:Healthy young (N = 17, 9W) and older (N = 13, 10W) adults completed the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale to assess everyday perceptions of physical (PF) and mental fatigability and performed a repetitive tapping task to fatigue. Before and after the task, grip strength was assessed using a hand-grip dynamometer and touch-pressure sensitivity was measured (shoulder, hand) using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. RESULTS:Older, but not young adults, had increased touch-pressure sensitivity at the shoulder after fatigue (interaction, p = 0.007). No changes in grip strength were observed (p>0.05). Task fatigability was not different between young and old adults (p>0.05). Having less task fatigability was associated with lower PF, higher grip strength, and higher touch-pressure sensitivity at the hand (? = 0.37-0.58, p<0.05), with the hand sensation association also observed in the old adult subgroup (? = 0.56, p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS:With old age, there were fatigue-related alterations to sensory but not physical function. While task fatigability was associated with perceptual, physical, and sensory features, sensory features appear to have a more important role with old age.

SUBMITTER: Bailey CA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7347145 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Effects of old age on fatigability and sensorimotor characteristics of a repetitive upper limb fatiguing task.

Bailey Christopher A CA Weiss Maxana M Côté Julie N JN

PloS one 20200709 7

<h4>Objectives</h4>1) Determine the effects of old age on sensorimotor responses to a fatiguing work-like task. 2) Explore how old age influences the relationships between task fatigability, everyday perceptions of fatigability, and sensorimotor function.<h4>Methods</h4>Healthy young (N = 17, 9W) and older (N = 13, 10W) adults completed the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale to assess everyday perceptions of physical (PF) and mental fatigability and performed a repetitive tapping task to fatigue. Bef ...[more]

PMID: 32645051

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Musculoskeletal disorders are more prevalent among women than among men, which may be explained by aspects of motor control, including neuromuscular requirements and motor variability. Using an exploratory approach, this study aimed to evaluate sex differences in neuromuscular responses and motor variability during a repetitive task performed on 3 days. METHODS:Thirty women and 27 men performed the non-fatiguing, repetitive, 1-h screwing task. For neuromuscular responses, the mean and difference values of static, median, and peak percentile muscle activity levels (normalized to a reference voluntary contraction force) and, for motor variability, the mean and difference values of relative and absolute cycle-to-cycle variability across days were compared between both sexes for each muscle. A mixed-design analysis of variance was used to assess differences between both sexes. RESULTS:The non-fatiguing character of the screwing task was confirmed by the absence of decreased force levels in maximal voluntary contractions performed before and after the task and by absence of electromyographic signs of muscle fatigue. The static and median muscle activity levels tended to be higher among women (on average 7.86 and 27.23 %RVE) than men (on average 6.04 and 26.66 %RVE). Relative motor variability of the flexor and biceps muscles and absolute motor variability of both upper arm muscles were lower in women (on average 0.79 and 29.70 %RVE) than in men (on average 0.89 and 37.55 %RVE). The median activity level of both upper arms muscles tended to decrease within days among women (on average - 2.63 %RVE) but increase among men (on average + 1.19 %RVE). Absolute motor variability decreased within days among women (on average - 5.32 to - 0.34%RVE), whereas it tended to decrease less or increase within days among men (on average - 1.21 to + 0.25 %RVE). CONCLUSION:Women showed higher levels of muscle activity and lower initial relative and absolute motor variability than males when performing the same occupational task, implying women may have a higher risk for developing disorders and point to both sexes using different intrinsic motor control strategies in task performance. Clearly, biological aspects alone cannot explain why women would be at higher risk for developing disorders than men. Therefore, a wider range of individual and environmental factors should be taken into account for optimizing work station designs and organizations by taking into account sex differences.

Project description:BackgroundObesity and chronic low-grade inflammation have both been implicated in the onset of physical fatigue. However, few studies have investigated the independence of these associations in older community-dwelling populations. We therefore aimed to investigate the associations of body mass index (BMI) and inflammatory markers at age 60-64 with perceived physical fatigability at age 68 and to assess whether any such associations were independent of each other and potential confounding factors. A secondary aim was to investigate whether any association with BMI extended back into earlier adulthood.MethodsParticipants of the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (N = 1580) had BMI and levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) measured during clinical assessments at age 60-64. These were related to self-perceived physical fatigability assessed at age 68 using the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS) (total score:0 (no physical fatigue)-50 (extreme physical fatigue)).ResutsWomen had higher mean PFS scores than men (mean (SD): 16.0 (9.1) vs 13.2 (8.9), p < 0.01). In sex-adjusted models, BMI, CRP and IL-6 were each associated with PFS scores. When all three factors were included in the same model, BMI and IL-6 remained associated with PFS scores whereas CRP did not. After adjustment for a range of potential confounders, associations of BMI and IL-6 with PFS scores were still evident; fully adjusted differences in mean PFS score = 3.41 (95% CI: 0.59, 6.24) and 1.65 (0.46, 2.84) for underweight and obese participants when compared with normal weight and, 2.78 (1.65, 3.91) when comparing those with an IL-6 of 2.51-8.49 pg/mL with levels <1.50.ConclusionsBMI and inflammation may both be suitable targets for intervention to reduce the burden of physical fatigability in later life. Further, interventions that target both obesity and elevated levels of IL-6 are likely to be more effective than those focusing on only one.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Muscle fatigue induced by repetitive movements contributes to the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Men and women respond differently to muscle fatigue during isometric single-joint efforts, but sex differences during dynamic multi-joint tasks have not been clearly identified. Moreover, most studies comparing men and women during fatigue development assessed endurance time. However, none evaluated sex differences in kinematic adaptations to fatigue during multi-joint dynamic tasks. The objective of the study was to compare how men and women adapt their upper body kinematics during a fatiguing repetitive pointing task. METHODS:Forty men and 41 women performed repetitive pointing movements (one per second) between two targets while maintaining their elbow elevated at shoulder height. The task ended when participants rated a perceived level of fatigue of 8/10. Trunk, humerothoracic, and elbow angles were compared between the first and last 30 s of the experiment and between men and women. Linear positions of the index finger (distance from the target) and the elbow (arm elevation) as well as movement timing were documented as task performance measures. RESULTS:Men (7.4?±?3.2 min) and women (8.3?±?4.5 min) performed the repetitive pointing task for a similar duration. For both sex groups, trunk range of motion increased with fatigue while shoulder's and elbow's decreased. Moreover, participants modified their trunk posture to compensate for the decreased humerothoracic elevation. Movements at all joints also became more variable with fatigue. However, of the 24 joint angle variables assessed, only two Sex × Fatigue interactions were observed. Although average humerothoracic elevation angle decreased in both subgroups, this decrease was greater in men (standardized response mean [SRM] -?1.63) than in women (SRM -?1.44). Moreover, the movement-to-movement variability of humerothoracic elevation angle increased only in women (SRM 0.42). CONCLUSION:Despite many similarities between men's and women's response to fatigue induced by repetitive pointing movements, some sex differences were observed. Those subtle differences may indicate that men's shoulder muscles were more fatigued than women's despite a similar level of perceived exertion. They may also indicate that men and women do not adapt the exact same way to a similar fatigue.

Project description:BACKGROUND AND AIM:Understanding the maturation of upper limb (UL) movement characteristics in typically developing (TD) children is key to explore UL deficits in those with neurodevelopmental disorders. Three-dimensional motion analysis (3DMA) offers a reliable tool to comprehensively evaluate UL motion. However, studies thus far mainly focused on specific pre-defined parameters extracted from kinematic waveforms. Here, we investigated age-related differences in UL movement characteristics over the entire movement cycle in TD children. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS:We assessed the non-dominant UL of 60 TD children (mean age 10y3m±3y1m) using 3DMA during eight tasks: reaching (forwards (RF), upwards (RU), sideways (RS)), reach-to-grasp (sphere (RGS), vertical cylinder (RGV)) and activities-of-daily-living mimicking tasks (hand-to-head (HTH), hand-to-mouth (HTM), hand-to-shoulder (HTS)). We investigated differences between four age-groups (5-7y, 8-10y, 11-12y, 13-15y) in: (1) spatiotemporal parameters (movement duration, peak velocity, time-to-peak velocity and trajectory straightness), and (2) 12 UL joint angles, using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). RESULTS:We found that the 5-7y children moved with lower peak velocity and less straight trajectories compared to the 11-12y group (peak velocity: RS, HTS, p<0.01; trajectory: RU, RS, RGV, HTS, p<0.01) and the 13-15y group (peak velocity: RF, RS, RGS, RGV, HTH, HTS, p<0.01; trajectory, all tasks, p<0.01). The 5-7y children showed increased scapular protraction compared to older children (8-10y and 11-12y, HTS), as well as increased scapular medial rotation compared to the 13-15y group (RGS). During RU, the 5-7y children moved more towards the frontal plane (shoulder), unlike the 13-15y group. Lastly, the 5-7y group used less elbow flexion than older children (11-12y and 13-15y) during HTH and HTS. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:In conclusion, our results point toward a maturation in UL movement characteristics up to age 11-12y, when UL motion seemed to reach a plateau. The reference values provided in this study will help to further optimize the interpretation of UL deficits in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Effects of old age on fatigability and sensorimotor characteristics of a repetitive upper limb fatiguing task.

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Effects of old age on fatigability and sensorimotor characteristics of a repetitive upper limb fatiguing task.

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