When Seniors Lose Interest in Going Out, the Motor
Skills that Took Them Decline Rapidly
One-point decrease on social activity scale was
equivalent to being approximately five years older at the start of the
study - risk of death, disability jump
June 22, 2009 - As senior citizens lose their
interest in socializing with their friends and family, the motor skills
that used to get them there also begin to decline rapidly. This
weakness in motor skills has been well established as leading to a
number of problems, not the least of which are death and disability,
according to a report in todays issue of Archives of Internal
Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
"It's not just running around the track that is
good for you," said Dr. Aron Buchman, associate professor of
neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center. "Our findings
suggest that engaging in social activities may also be protective
against loss of motor abilities."
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"If the causal relationship is confirmed by others,
the implications are enormous for interventions that can help the
elderly. Our data raise the possibility that we can slow motor decline
and possibly delay its adverse health outcomes by supporting social
engagement a relatively low-cost solution to a very large public
health problem."
Dr. Buchman, M.D., and colleagues at Rush
University Medical Center, Chicago, examined whether frequency of social
activity in late-life was related to motor function decline in 906 older
adults participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project from 1997 to
2008, with an average follow-up of 4.9 years.
"Decline in motor function is a familiar
consequence of aging, with older persons displaying a wide spectrum of
loss of motor abilities ranging from mild decreased muscle strength and
bulk and reduced speed and dexterity to overt motor impairment with
concomitant disability," according to the background information in the
article.
Previous research has established that motor
function decline in older individuals is associated with negative health
outcomes including, disability, dementia and death. Although decline in
motor function is becoming a major public health concern, "little is
known about risk factors for motor function decline that could translate
into potential public health or clinical interventions."
For this study the researchers recruited older
individuals from retirement facilities, subsidized housing complexes,
church groups and social service agencies in northeastern Illinois who
had no signs of dementia or history of Parkinson's disease or stroke.
At the outset of the study, the participants filled
out a survey indicating their level of participation in a variety of
activities involving social interactions, such as doing volunteer work,
visiting friends or relatives, or attending church or sporting events.
Frequency of participation in these activities was measured using a
five-point scale, with one indicating participation in a particular
activity once a year or less; two, several times a year; three, several
times a month; four, several times a week; and five, every day or almost
every day. Demographic information, weight, height and disabilities were
also recorded.
Demographic information, education, weight, height
and disabilities were also recorded.
The researchers then annually assessed the
participants' basic motor function by measuring their grip and pinch
strength and their ability to stand on one leg and then on their toes,
to walk in line in a heel-to-toe manner, place pegs on a board in 30
seconds and tap index fingers for 10 seconds bilaterally
Participants were followed for an average of five
years.
The study found that motor decline was more rapid
in those who less frequently participated in social activities, with
each one-point decrease in a participant's social activity associated
with an approximate 33-percent more rapid rate of decline.
A one-point decrease on the social activity scale
was equivalent to being approximately five years older at the start of
the study, according to Buchman.
"Statistically, that amount of change translates
into a more than 40-percent increased risk of death and a more than
65-percent increased risk of developing disability," Buchman said.
Motor function was also associated, as expected,
with other factors, such as joint pain, depression, disability and
vascular disease, but even when these factors were considered in the
analysis, the association between social activity and motor decline
still held up.
"There is gathering evidence that physical activity
is only one component of an active and healthy lifestyle. Studies have
shown, for example, that increased cognitive and social activities in
the elderly are associated with increased survival and a decreased risk
of dementia," Buchman said. "Our study extends these findings, showing
that social activity late in life is closely linked with healthy motor
function."
"The association of social activity with the rate
of global motor decline did not vary along demographic lines and was
unchanged after controlling for potential confounders including
late-life physical and cognitive activity, disability, global cognition
depressive symptoms, body composition and chronic medical conditions,"
the article notes.
"These data raise the possibility that social
engagement can slow motor function decline and possibly delay adverse
health outcomes from such decline. Further work is needed to ensure that
this is a causal relationship," the study concludes.
"Additional knowledge of the biological, in
particular the neurobiological, mechanisms of motor function decline is
needed. Such information would allow for much more refined hypotheses
regarding the mechanisms underlying the association that will be
important for the design and execution of potential interventions."
Other researchers at Rush involved in this study
were Patricia Boyle, PhD, Robert Wilson, PhD, Debra Fleischman, PhD, Sue
Leurgans, PhD, and Dr. David Bennett.
Editor's Note: This work was supported by National
Institute on Aging grants, the Illinois Department of Public Health and
the Robert C. Borwell Endowment Fund.
