Scientists Link Slower Movements in Aging to New Diagnostic Tools

It’s common knowledge that our bodies naturally become slower in their movements as we age. Some potential explanations could include a slower metabolism, loss of muscle mass, and becoming less active over time. Scientists believe this new research — recently published in the journal The Journal of Neuroscience — may help lead to new diagnostic tools for diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Doctors reviewing this study say that with age, our muscle cells may become less efficient in transforming energy into muscle force and ultimately movement. We also become less efficient in our movement strategies, possibly to compensate for lower strength. So, we recruit more muscles, which costs more energy, to perform the same tasks. 

Ahmed and her team also wanted to see how aging might affect the “reward circuitry” in the brain, as the body produces less dopamine as we grow older.The objective was to reach a specific target on the screen. If they hit the target, participants were rewarded with a “bing” sound. Researchers found both young and older adults arrived at the targets quicker when they knew they would hear the “bing.” 

However, scientists say they achieved this differently — younger adults just moved their arms faster while older adults improved their reaction times, starting their reach with the robotic arm about 17 milliseconds sooner on average. Researchers also wanted to see how ageing might affect the “reward circuitry” in the brain, as the body produces less dopamine as we grow older. 

The objective was to reach a specific target on the screen. If they hit the target, participants were rewarded with a “bing” sound. Researchers found both young and older adults arrived at the targets quicker when they knew they would hear the “bing.” 

However, scientists say they achieved this differently — younger adults just moved their arms faster while older adults improve their reaction times, starting their reach with the robotic arm about 17 milliseconds sooner on average. Researchers believe their findings may help lead to new diagnostic tools for movement-related disorders. Movement slowing as we age can significantly impact our quality of life. It can restrict not only physical but social activities. It’s important to understand the underlying causes and determine if there are potential interventions that can help slow or eliminate the decline.