Motor unit discharge behavior in older adults during maximal-effort contractions.
Abstract
A reduction in maximal force production is a common observation in older individuals. In an effort to determine whether aging is accompanied by reductions in central motoneuron drive limiting motor performance, motor unit discharge records were obtained from seven young (21-33 yr) and seven older (> 67 yr) adults. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects. The task required the subject to perform a maximal abduction of the second digit under isometric conditions. Motor unit potentials in the first dorsal interosseous were monitored by using a selective four-wire needle electrode and identified off-line with the aid of a Dantec electromyograph. The maximal discharge rate in the older adults (31.1 impulses/s) was significantly smaller (P < 0.05) than that in the younger subjects (50.9 impulses/s). These findings suggest that reductions in maximal force capability in older adults are partially due to an impaired ability to fully drive the surviving motor units.
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Motor unit firing properties are markedly affected by aging.
“some previous studies reported that motor unit firing properties, which are one of indicators of age-related dysfunctions in the central nervous system, are markedly affected by aging (Soderberg et al., 1991; Kamen et al., 1995; Erim et al., 1999; Roos et al., 1999; Watanabe et al., 2016).”
From Effect of resistance training and fish protein intake on motor unit firing pattern and motor function of elderly (2018) · cites this paper as Kamen et al., 1995
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- Authors
- Kamen, G., Sison, S. V., Du, C. C., & Patten, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- ORCID
- Patten, C.
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 1995-12-01
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1908-1913
- ISSN
- 0161-7567 (ISSN-L)
- 8750-7587
- 1522-1601
- OpenAlex
- W1839589202
- Cited by
- 323
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 2.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01ag009662-03)
- National Institute on Aging (AG09662)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Muscle activation and electromyography studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- motor unit discharge rate, aging, motor unit action potentials, first dorsal interosseous muscle, isometric contraction, older adults
- MeSH terms
- Action Potentials, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aging, Humans, Motor Neurons, Muscle Contraction, Time Factors
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