Large Reaching Datasets Quantify the Impact of Age, Sex/Gender, and Experience on Motor Control

Zhang, A.; Ruitenberg, M.; Warburton, M.; Scott, S.; Tsay, J. S.

doi:10.1101/2025.05.01.651757

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.05.01.651757

Large Reaching Datasets Quantify the Impact of Age, Sex/Gender, and Experience on Motor Control

Zhang, A.·Ruitenberg, M.·Warburton, M.·Scott, S.·Tsay, J. S.

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Abstract

As we age, our movements become slower and less precise--but the extent of this decline remains unclear. To address this, we harmonized data from 2,185 participants across four published studies using a standard center-out reaching task. We found that older age was associated with a steady decline in reaction time (- 1.2 ms/year), movement time (-2.3 ms/year), and movement precision (-0.02{o}/year). Although the rate of decline did not differ by sex/gender, females consistently reacted more slowly (-8 ms), moved more slowly (-37 ms), and exhibited greater precision (+0.5{o}) across the adult lifespan. Notably, sex/gender differences attenuated after accounting for experiential factors such as video game use and the amount of sleep per day, whereas age remained a robust and consistent predictor of motor decline. Together, these findings provide a large-scale quantification of age, sex/gender, and experiential effects on motor control, offering a normative benchmark to inform future clinical interventions aimed at preserving motor function across the lifespan.

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Zhang, A., Ruitenberg, M., Warburton, M., Scott, S., Tsay, J. S.. 2025-05-07. Large Reaching Datasets Quantify the Impact of Age, Sex/Gender, and Experience on Motor Control. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.01.651757

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