Imagine your brain as a lively storyteller, weaving tales of movement and coordination. But what happens when that storyteller starts to age? This study dives into the effects of advanced aging on implicit motor imagery and its relationship with physical motor performance. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the researchers compared mental rotation tasks involving letters, hands, and feet between young and older adults. They discovered that older adults exhibited lower performance in mental rotations for all stimuli and experienced stronger biomechanical constraints on hand and foot rotation. Surprisingly, the constraints on foot rotation continued to increase as individuals entered late adulthood, while declines in hand and foot motor imagery emerged at an earlier stage than declines in visual imagery. Fascinatingly, correlations between low-level perceptual-motor skills and mental rotation performance varied between young and older adults, hinting at age-related changes in motor functioning. These findings add a captivating layer to our understanding of the aging brain’s motor abilities, encouraging us to explore the underlying research for a deeper insight into the relationship between aging, motor imagery, and motor performance.
This study focuses on changes in implicit motor imagery during advanced aging and these changes’ co-occurrences with physical motor deficits. We administered a mental rotation (MR) task with letters, hands, and feet to 28 young adults (20–27 years) and to 71 older adults (60–87 years), and assessed motor skills (gait mobility and hand dexterity) and neuropsychological performance. Compared to young adults, older adults showed lower MR performance for all stimuli and stronger biomechanical constraint effects on both hand and foot rotation. Moreover, the foot biomechanical constraint effect continued to increase during late adulthood, and declines in hand and foot motor imagery emerged at earlier old ages than declines in visual imagery. These results first demonstrated distinct aging trajectories of hand motor imagery, foot motor imagery, and visual imagery. Exploratory partial correlation analysis for older adults showed positive associations of low-level perceptual-motor skills (Trail Making Test-A performance) with hand and foot MR performance and positive associations of mobility (Timed Up and Go test performance) with foot and letter MR performance. These associations exhibited somewhat different patterns from those of young adults and raised the possibility that age-related declines in motor (and visual) imagery co-occur with declines in motor functioning.
Dr. David Lowemann, M.Sc, Ph.D., is a co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Human Potential, where he leads the charge in pioneering Self-Enhancement Science for the Success of Society. With a keen interest in exploring the untapped potential of the human mind, Dr. Lowemann has dedicated his career to pushing the boundaries of human capabilities and understanding.
Armed with a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. in his field, Dr. Lowemann has consistently been at the forefront of research and innovation, delving into ways to optimize human performance, cognition, and overall well-being. His work at the Institute revolves around a profound commitment to harnessing cutting-edge science and technology to help individuals lead more fulfilling and intelligent lives.
Dr. Lowemann’s influence extends to the educational platform BetterSmarter.me, where he shares his insights, findings, and personal development strategies with a broader audience. His ongoing mission is shaping the way we perceive and leverage the vast capacities of the human mind, offering invaluable contributions to society’s overall success and collective well-being.