Challenge to promote change: both young and older adults benefit from contextual interference.

ABSTRACT: Current society has to deal with major challenges related to our constantly increasing population of older adults. Since, motor performance generally deteriorates at older age, research investigating the effects of different types of training on motor improvement is particularly important. Here, we tested the effects of contextual interference (CI) while learning a bimanual coordination task in both young and older subjects. Both age groups acquired a low and high complexity task variant following either a blocked or random practice schedule. Typical CI effects, i.e., better overall performance during acquisition but detrimental effects during retention for the blocked compared with the random groups, were found for the low complexity task variant in both age groups. With respect to the hi

SUBMITTER: Pauwels L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4531253 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature