健康高齢者における体性感覚，運動および認知機能の加齢的変化

Somatosensory, Cognitive and Motor Abilities Related to Aging

要旨：本研究は体性感覚機能，運動機能および認知機能の3つの点から，健康老人を対象に加齢による変化を測定した．対象は50才から86才までの合計260名の在宅健康高齢者とし，15項目の検査を実施した．

　6つの年齢群に分類して測定されたデータは，単純な体性感覚関連検査では加齢による影響がほとんど見られなかった．一方，手指巧緻機能検査，片足立ちおよび認知機能が加齢の水準を知る上で有益な手段であることが明かとなった．

　In occupational therapy for older people, evaluation of basic sensory, motor and cognitive functions is important for setting treatment goals as well as evaluating treatment effectiveness. It is of common knowledge that aging produces deterioration of many human abilities. Aging is influenced by a variety of factors, so data on changes in function is not easily discerned. This study was aimed to collect data and analyze age-related changes in abilities of older Japanese people by using 15 published or revised tests for tactile abilities, kinesthetic perceptual functions, gross and fine motor coordination, and cognitive abilities related to visualization, constructional praxis and memory.

　The tests were administered to 260 normal people(male: 154, female: 106), ranging in age from 50 to 86 years, who resided in Hokkaido. The following results were found; 1)All the tests had significant age-related changes, except in simple finger identification, one type of kinesthesia and quick grasp reaction of a rod. 2)Among motor tests, fine motor coordination as seen in peg board dexterity and following a line with a pen had more significant age-related changes as compared to gross motor tests such as standing balance with eyes closed. 3)Significant decrease of ability in cognition was noted. 4) Overall, the fine motor coordination tests had the least individual differences. 5)There was only a slight difference between male and female scores. This may be due to the fact that half of the sample had held occupations in agriculture, where both sexes worked.