Information processing limitations with aging in the visual scaling of isometric force

Jacob J. Sosnoff, Karl M. Newell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The experiment examined if age-related increases in force variability were due to decreases in visual acuity and/or visual-motor information processing deficits. Visual information scale was manipulated over a 250-fold range as young (20-29 years old) and old (60-79 years old) participants produced isometric force output to a visually presented target. Older adults were found to have a very small decrement in visual acuity, but there was no relation between visual acuity and force variability. Force variability exhibited a U-shaped trend as a function of visual information scale. Young adults had less relative variability and higher visual information transfer than the oldest old and these age differences increased with visual information scale. It is concluded that the age-related declines in visual-motor information processing influence changes in neuromuscular function and the emergent differences in force variability at the behavioral level.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)423-432
Number of pages10
JournalExperimental Brain Research
Volume170
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2006

Keywords

  • Force variability
  • Visual-motor information processing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuroscience(all)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Information processing limitations with aging in the visual scaling of isometric force'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this