earticle

영어

We explored motor control impairments in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using virtual reality environment. In particular, we aimed to investigate the specific impact of MCI on both feedforward and feedback motor control functions, including visual and proprioceptive feedback mechanisms. To do that, we specifically designed an experimental setup within an immersive virtual reality environment to isolate the effects of aging-induced MCI on motor control. We compared healthy older adults to adults with MCI who were instructed to perform a reaching task in an immersive virtual reality environment under two conditions: (1) using a visible cursor and (2) using an invisible cursor. We demonstrated that while peak speed errors were not significantly different between the groups, the MCI group showed a marked difference between visible and invisible cursor conditions. Furthermore, movement times in the MCI group increased exponentially with displacement, whereas the healthy group maintained consistent times across different displacements. These findings highlight proprioception as a key factor contributing to the motor control impairments associated with MCI, offering new insights into the interaction between cognitive decline and motor functions.