Experimental brain research. Experimentelle Hirnforschung. Expérimentation cérébrale
-
Handedness, a preference towards using the right or left hand, is established in early childhood. Such specialisation allows a higher level of skill to be maintained in the preferred hand on specific tasks through continuous practice and performance. Hand asymmetries might be expected to increase with age because of the time spent practising with the preferred hand. ⋯ Combined analyses of both hands revealed reduced asymmetries in MT and SACF in the older group. The young were significantly faster when tracing with their preferred hand, but older participants were equally slow with either hand. Our results are consistent with the growing literature reporting decreased hemispheric function lateralisation in the ageing brain.
-
People with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) not only suffer from neck/head pain, but commonly report deficits in eye movement control. Recent work has highlighted a strong relationship between eye and neck muscle activation in pain-free subjects. It is possible that WAD may disrupt the intricate coordination between eye and neck movement. ⋯ Third, the effect of horizontal gaze direction on neck muscle EMG was augmented compared to controls. These observations provide evidence of redistribution of activity between neck muscles during cervical rotation and increased interaction between eye and neck muscle activity in people with WAD. These changes in cervico-ocular coordination may underlie clinical symptoms reported by people with WAD that involve visual deficits and changes in function during cervical rotation such as postural control.