What does hand motor function tell us about our aging brain in association with WMH?
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
What does hand motor function tell us about our aging brain in association with WMH? Misbah Riaz1 · Torgil Riise Vangberg1,2 · Olena Vasylenko3 · Susana Castro‑Chavira3 · Marta M. Gorecka3 · Knut Waterloo3,4 · Claudia Rodríguez‑Aranda3 Received: 6 May 2020 / Accepted: 11 August 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Background White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are a common cerebral finding in older people. WMH are usually asymptomatic, but excessive WMH are associated with cognitive decline and dementia. WMH are also among the neurological findings most consistently associated with declining motor performance in healthy ageing. Aims To determine if WMH load is associated with simple and complex motor movements in dominant and non-dominant hands in cognitively intact older subjects. Methods Hand motor performance was assessed with the Purdue Pegboard and Finger-tapping tests on 44 healthy righthanded participants, mean age 70.9 years (range 59–84 years). Participants also underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, which were used to quantify WMH volume. The effect of WMH on the motor parameters was assessed via mediation analyses. Results WMH load increased significantly with age, while the motor scores decreased significantly with age. WMH load mediated only the relationship between age and left-hand pegboard scores. Discussion WMH mediated only the more complex Purdue Pegboard task for the non-dominant hand. This is likely because complex movements in the non-dominant hand recruit a larger cerebral network, which is more vulnerable to WMH. Conclusions Complex hand movements in the non-dominant hand are mediated by WMH. Subtle loss of motor movements of non-dominant hand might predict future excessive white matter atrophy. Keywords White matter hyperintensities · Ageing · Pegboard · Finger tapping
Introduction Late-life motor decline is common in the aging population and is associated with various adverse health outcomes such as gait dysfunction, increased risk of falls, dementia, cognitive decline, and disability [1–3]. Motor decline * Torgil Riise Vangberg [email protected] 1
Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsö, Norway
2
PET Center, University Hospital North Norway, Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge HF, 9038 Tromsö, Norway
3
Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsö, Norway
4
Department of Neurology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsö, Norway
is multifactorial since it can be caused by neurological or musculoskeletal conditions (e.g., arthritis), or a combination of these factors. These late-life motor deficits interfere with the activities of daily independent living and can lead to functional decline and reduced quality of life in older people. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are typically seen as hyperintense lesions in cerebral white matter on fluidattenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MR images and represent atrophy in cerebral white matter [4]. WMH are considered an inevitabl
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