The influence of age on manual asymmetries in movement preparation and execution

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the influence of age on the expression of manual asymmetries in movement preparation and execution and the implication toward the hypothesis of differential hemispheric aging. Young, middle age, and elderly subjects performed a simple pointing task under a precuing paradigm (Rosenbaum, 1980). Although elderly subjects were slower in initiating and completing their movements compared to younger subjects, they demonstrated the same right‐hand advantage for the speed of movement execution and exhibited the same left‐hand advantage for speed of preparation as the younger subjects. These results indicate that elderly subjects exhibit the same pattern of manual asymmetry as younger subjects. Furthermore, elderly subjects exhibited a more pronounced left‐hand advantage than younger subjects for movement preparation. This finding is not consistent with the idea that right‐hemisphere visuospatial function deteriorates more rapidly with age.