A study on how concurrent visual feedback affects motor learning of adjustability of grasping force in younger and older adults.

In this study, we investigated the differences of the effectiveness from concurrent visual feedback among younger and older adults in learning tasks that require adjustability of grasping force (AGF), as well as the functions related to AGF in each generation. The younger and older adult groups were evaluated for simple visual reaction time as visual-motor speed (VMS) and a 100 g AGF task that reflected the difference between desired performance and actual performance. The main learning task was then practiced using concurrent visual feedback and tested without feedback.

Usefulness of an unstable board balance test to accurately identify community-dwelling elderly individuals with a history of falls.

Objective: To determine the usefulness of an un-stable board balance test in identifying a fall history among high-functioning community-dwelling elderly individuals.

Design: Case-control study.

Subjects: Sixty-one community-dwelling elderly aged ≥ 65 years and having the capacity to walk independently without an assistive device.

Dynamic balance assessment using an unstable board in community-dwelling elderly people.

[Purpose] A new method for measuring dynamic balance was developed. The aim of this study was to describe the use of a novel "unstable board" to evaluate the balance ability of community-dwelling elderly individuals. [Participants and Methods] The following balance outcomes were evaluated in 59 community-dwelling elderly people: anteroposterior and mediolateral stability indexes on the unstable board, Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test score, the Functional Reach Test score, Timed Up-and-Go time, and the Figure-8 Walk Test time.

Assessing the adjustability of grasping force using the iWakka in elderly individuals.

[Purpose] To ensure that elderly individuals continue performing their activities of daily living, rehabilitation specialists have focused on several intervention programs, including programs that help maintain the functionality of digits. Grasping motion, including the ability to adjust grip, both spatially and temporally, is important for the elderly to continue independent living. The iWakka is a device used to measure the adjustability of grasping force and developed in Japan in 2012.