Motor Control

During senescence, there is a gradual decrease in the capacity to control movement. Declines in fine motor control, gait and posture can have a profound effect on old adult’s abilities to perform activities of the daily living, threatening their independence. The reasons behind these deficits are multifactorial. On the one hand, there are specific changes in muscle structure and morphology, which can decrease the force generating capacity of muscles (i.e., Sarcopenia). On the other hand, there are specific adaptations to the central and peripheral nervous systems, which influences both the cognitive processes related to motor planning and learning, as well as efferent and afferent sensorimotor pathways involved in the control of movement. Deterioration of fine motor skills such as grasping as well as gross motor skills such as reaching and aiming have important implications in the quality of life of older individuals. Moreover, deficits in the control of posture and gait increases the risk of falling, potentially inducing life-threatening injuries. Although these changes are inevitable, exercise might have an important role in ameliorating the decline in motor function, as it could be regarded as an important tool to improve both the quality of movement as well as the cognitive processes involved in the execution of motor tasks. The following chapter will discuss the neural processes responsible for the decrease in motor plasticity and motor learning as well as common impairments in motor output during fine and gross motor tasks. It will present potential exercise interventions, which could help to mitigate changes in motor function in the elderly.