Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control

When engaged in dynamic or continuous movements, action initiation involves modifying an ongoing motor program rather than initiating it from rest. Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas is a neurophysiological marker for modifying motor programs. We used electroencephalography...

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Main Authors: Andreas Wulff-Abramsson, Ana Zvornik, Keenie Ayla Andersen, Yan Yang, Mikael Novén, Jesper Lundbye-Jensen, Leo Tomasevic, Anke Ninija Karabanov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:NeuroImage
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925000345
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author Andreas Wulff-Abramsson
Ana Zvornik
Keenie Ayla Andersen
Yan Yang
Mikael Novén
Jesper Lundbye-Jensen
Leo Tomasevic
Anke Ninija Karabanov
author_facet Andreas Wulff-Abramsson
Ana Zvornik
Keenie Ayla Andersen
Yan Yang
Mikael Novén
Jesper Lundbye-Jensen
Leo Tomasevic
Anke Ninija Karabanov
author_sort Andreas Wulff-Abramsson
collection DOAJ
description When engaged in dynamic or continuous movements, action initiation involves modifying an ongoing motor program rather than initiating it from rest. Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas is a neurophysiological marker for modifying motor programs. We used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine how task complexity and age affect event-related synchronization (ERS) in the theta band during a dynamic bimanual, visuomotor pinch force task. Older (mean age = 68) and younger (mean age = 26) participants performed symmetric (SYM) and asymmetric (ASYM) bimanual pinch force adjustments. Trials began with a visually cued contraction from a baseline force to a novel target force (P1). Force had to be maintained at the target until a visually cued return to the familiar baseline (P2). Older adults reacted slower across task conditions, and their accuracy decreased more when shifting from the SYM to the ASYM condition. Older adults also displayed lower theta ERS across conditions. Additionally, older adults were not able to modulate theta expression based on whether a force change was initiated to a novel target or back to baseline. Younger adults showed significantly stronger theta ERS after P1-cues compared to P2-cues, while the theta response to P1 and P2 cues was not different in older adults. Older adults also showed stronger lateralization, displaying higher theta ERS over the dominant motor cortex. Finally, event-related theta synchronization appeared to be behaviorally relevant across groups and correlated with task performance. Together, the results show that theta ERS over sensorimotor areas is a strong, age-sensitive marker of dynamic pinch force adjustments showing an age-related reduction in specificity with reduced context-dependent modulations and more imbalanced bimanual activation.
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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spelling doaj-art-c7c6bc9c1f134216bf888a87c08c8f1b2025-02-07T04:46:54ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722025-03-01308121032Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor controlAndreas Wulff-Abramsson0Ana Zvornik1Keenie Ayla Andersen2Yan Yang3Mikael Novén4Jesper Lundbye-Jensen5Leo Tomasevic6Anke Ninija Karabanov7Movement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkMovement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkMovement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkState Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, ChinaMovement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkMovement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkDanish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Hvidovre Hospital, DenmarkMovement & Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Corresponding author.When engaged in dynamic or continuous movements, action initiation involves modifying an ongoing motor program rather than initiating it from rest. Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas is a neurophysiological marker for modifying motor programs. We used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine how task complexity and age affect event-related synchronization (ERS) in the theta band during a dynamic bimanual, visuomotor pinch force task. Older (mean age = 68) and younger (mean age = 26) participants performed symmetric (SYM) and asymmetric (ASYM) bimanual pinch force adjustments. Trials began with a visually cued contraction from a baseline force to a novel target force (P1). Force had to be maintained at the target until a visually cued return to the familiar baseline (P2). Older adults reacted slower across task conditions, and their accuracy decreased more when shifting from the SYM to the ASYM condition. Older adults also displayed lower theta ERS across conditions. Additionally, older adults were not able to modulate theta expression based on whether a force change was initiated to a novel target or back to baseline. Younger adults showed significantly stronger theta ERS after P1-cues compared to P2-cues, while the theta response to P1 and P2 cues was not different in older adults. Older adults also showed stronger lateralization, displaying higher theta ERS over the dominant motor cortex. Finally, event-related theta synchronization appeared to be behaviorally relevant across groups and correlated with task performance. Together, the results show that theta ERS over sensorimotor areas is a strong, age-sensitive marker of dynamic pinch force adjustments showing an age-related reduction in specificity with reduced context-dependent modulations and more imbalanced bimanual activation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925000345Bimanual coordinationTheta synchronizationMotor controlAgingEEG
spellingShingle Andreas Wulff-Abramsson
Ana Zvornik
Keenie Ayla Andersen
Yan Yang
Mikael Novén
Jesper Lundbye-Jensen
Leo Tomasevic
Anke Ninija Karabanov
Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control
NeuroImage
Bimanual coordination
Theta synchronization
Motor control
Aging
EEG
title Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control
title_full Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control
title_fullStr Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control
title_full_unstemmed Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control
title_short Event-related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control
title_sort event related theta synchronization over sensorimotor areas differs between younger and older adults and is related to bimanual motor control
topic Bimanual coordination
Theta synchronization
Motor control
Aging
EEG
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925000345
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