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Interactions between Cold Ambient Temperature and Older Age on Haptic Acuity and Manual Performance*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2013

Panteha Tajmir ,
Lawrence E. M. Grierson  and
Heather Carnahan
Panteha Tajmir
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto
Lawrence E. M. Grierson*
Affiliation:
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University
Heather Carnahan
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto The Centre for Ambulatory Care Education, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto
*
†Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Lawrence E. M. Grierson, Ph.D. Department of Family Medicine McMaster University McMaster Innovation Park 175 Longwood Road South, Suite 201-A Hamilton, ON L8P 0A1 (lawrencegrierson@gmail.com)
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Abstract

The impact of exposure to cold on individuals’ motor skills demands a deeper understanding of the ways in which cold weather influences psychomotor and haptic performance. In this study, various facets of psychomotor performance were evaluated in order to determine the impacts of ambient cold exposure on older persons. Healthy younger and older persons performed a battery of haptic psychomotor tests at room (23° C) and cold (1° C) ambient temperatures. The results indicate that older individuals do not perform as well as younger persons across the battery of tests, with cold temperature further degrading their performance in dexterity tasks (in, for example, Minnesota Manual Dexterity test placing: F [1, 16] = 10.23, p < .01) and peak precision grip force generation (F [1, 16] = 18.97, p < .01). The results suggest that cold weather may have an impact on the occupations older persons are able to perform during the winter months.

Résumé

L’impact de l’exposition au froid sur les aptitudes motrices individuelles exige une meilleure compréhension de la façon dont le froid influence les performances psychomotrices et haptiques. Dans cette étude, les différentes facettes de la performance psychomotrice ont été analysées afin de detérminer les effets de l’exposition au froid ambiant sur les personnes âgées. Des personnes et jeunes et plus âgées en bonne santé ont effectué une batterie de tests psychomoteurs haptiques aux températures ambiantes (23° C) et froids (1° C) pour déterminer les effets de l’exposition au froid ambiant sur les personnes âgées. Les résultats indiquent que les personnes âgées n’achèvent pas les résultats aussi forts que ceux des personnes plus jeunes à travers la batterie de tests, et qu’une température froide dégrade davantage leur dexterité pour les tâches (par exemple, leur niveau dans le Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test: F [1, 16] = 10,23, p < .01) et la génération de la force de préhension de précision avec une precision de pointe (F [1, 16] = 18,97, p < .01). Les résultats suggèrent que le froid peut avoir un impact en limitant les activités auxquelles les aînés peuvent se livrer pendant les mois d’hiver.

Keywords

vieillissmenttempérature froidehaptiqueaptitudes psychomotricesagingcold temperaturehapticspsychomotor skills
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , June 2013 , pp. 195 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2013 

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Footnotes

*

This work was generously supported by the Natural Sciences and Research Council of Canada. H. Carnahan is supported by the BMO Chair in Health Professions Education Research.

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