Aging effects on the resting state motor network and interlimb coordination

Abstract

Both increases and decreases in resting state functional connectivity have been previously observed within the motor network during aging. Moreover, the relationship between altered functional connectivity and age-related declines in bimanual coordination remains unclear. Here, we explored the developmental dynamics of the resting brain within a task-specific motor network in a sample of 128 healthy participants, aged 18-80 years. We found that age-related increases in functional connectivity between interhemispheric dorsal and ventral premotor areas were associated with poorer performance on a novel bimanual visuomotor task. Additionally, a control analysis performed on the default mode network confirmed that our age-related increases in functional connectivity were specific to the motor system. Our findings suggest that increases in functional connectivity within the resting state motor network with aging reflect a loss of functional specialization that may not only occur in the active brain but also in the resting brain.

A combined diffusion‐weighted and electroencephalography study on age‐related differences in connectivity in the motor network during bimanual performance

“…Consistent with resting state fMRI work by Solesio‐Jofre et al (), who reported age‐related increase in functional connectivity within the bilateral motor network, we found increased wPLI values in older adults, particularly in the left intra‐hemispheric pathway between PMd L and M1 L . Within the group of older adults, bimanual performance on the 5:2 ratio, in which the left hand rotates faster than the right hand, correlated negatively with the wPLI values of the M1 L –M1 R connection, consistent with the fMRI results from Solesio‐Jofre et al (). They also found significant correlations between increased inter‐hemispheric functional connectivity in motor regions at rest and reduced quality of motor performance.…”

“…Using bilateral paired‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), Hinder, Fujiyama, and Summers () identified a pronounced reliance on inter‐hemispheric functional connectivity between PMd and contralateral M1 in older adults during performance of a bimanual sensorimotor reaction time task. Solesio‐Jofre et al () reported correlations between age‐related increases in resting state functional connectivity of inter‐hemispheric dorsal and ventral premotor areas and diminished bimanual performance.…”

Early Age-Related Functional Connectivity Decline in High-Order Cognitive Networks

“…Here, the MN showed a significantly different FC time course compared with high-order cognitive networks (early FC increment followed by a late decrement). Age-related changes in FC within the MN have been studied only rarely and results are conflicting with both decreases (Wu et al, 2007) and increases (Tomasi and Volkow, 2012; Solesio-Jofre et al, 2014) reported. However, consistent with our finding, a previous analysis of brain structural covariance networks (Li et al, 2013) uncovered a difference between motor and high-order cognitive networks.…”

Subcortical volumetric changes across the adult lifespan: Subregional thalamic atrophy accounts for age-related sensorimotor performance declines

“…Recent aging studies have focused on activity of the cerebral cortex, and have made some progress in determining the role of age-related functional brain changes in bimanual performance declines (Goble et al, 2010;Heitger et al, 2013;Kiyama, Kunimi, Iidaka, & Nakai, 2014;Solesio-Jofre et al, 2014). Other aging studies have demonstrated a significant role of microstructural changes in white matter structures and particularly the corpus callosum (Fling et al, 2011;Gooijers & Swinnen, 2014;Serbruyns et al, 2013;Sullivan et al, 2001), the largest white matter tract connecting interhemispheric cortical regions (Jarbo, Verstynen, & Schneider, 2012).…”