Ageing doesn’t hinder our ability to use hands and fingers with precision: Study

Colorado, USA

It is true that there's no magic solution for reversing the effects of ageing. As you grow older, certain changes are inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you are stuck with less nimble fingers.

One common concern that people have as they age is the decline in manual dexterity, or the ability to use their hands and fingers with precision and agility. 

Tasks that were once easy, like buttoning a shirt or writing a list, can become more challenging. 

However, the research conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Integrative Physiology, led by Sajjad Daneshgar, Taylor Tvrdy, and Professor Roger Enoka, has shown that there's hope for maintaining and even improving manual dexterity as we age.

How was the research done? 

The researchers worked with a group of more than two dozen participants aged between 60 and 83. Their primary goal was to determine whether manual dexterity could be enhanced through practice and whether age was a limiting factor in this improvement.

To test this, the study participants engaged in a pegboard exercise over six sessions. The task involved inserting small, keyhole-shaped metal pegs into 25 corresponding holes on a board as quickly as possible. These keyholes were not all the same, as they had different orientations on the board.

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So, participants not only had to manipulate the pegs with their fingers to get them in the right position but also fit them correctly into the keyholes.

The exciting finding was that, regardless of their initial level of manual dexterity, all participants improved their performance by the end of the sixth session. In other words, everyone became faster and more skilled at the pegboard exercise.

Manual dexterity not hindered by age

This research is a testament to the idea that with practice and perseverance, individuals can maintain and even enhance their manual dexterity as they age.

It suggests that age is not a barrier to improving one's ‘hand’ skills. So, while there may not be a magical solution to ageing, there is certainly room for improvement and maintaining a high level of manual dexterity through regular practice, regardless of your age.

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“Manual dexterity can be improved by the brain,” Daneshgar says, adding, “It’s not just at the level of the fingers. Signals from the brain are controlling function and practicing aids learning. This study shows that, as far as function in the limbs and hands, learning in terms of muscle training never ends. Whatever level you’re at, you can go back to this training and practicing to see improvement in function.”

(With inputs from agencies)