An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis Study of Simple Motor Movements in Older and Young Adults

Abstract

The functional neuroanatomy of finger movements has been characterized with neuroimaging in young adults. However, less is known about the aging motor system. Several studies have contrasted movement-related activity in older versus young adults, but there is inconsistency among their findings. To address this, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on within-group data from older adults and young adults performing regularly paced right-hand finger movement tasks in response to external stimuli. We hypothesized that older adults would show a greater likelihood of activation in right cortical motor areas (i.e., ipsilateral to the side of movement) compared to young adults. ALE maps were examined for conjunction and between-group differences. Older adults showed overlapping likelihoods of activation with young adults in left primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1), bilateral supplementary motor area, bilateral insula, left thalamus, and right anterior cerebellum. Their ALE map differed from that of the young adults in right SM1 (extending into dorsal premotor cortex), right supramarginal gyrus, medial premotor cortex, and right posterior cerebellum. The finding that older adults uniquely use ipsilateral regions for right-hand finger movements and show age-dependent modulations in regions recruited by both age groups provides a foundation by which to understand age-related motor decline and motor disorders.

Keywords: PET; aging; fMRI; finger; meta-analysis; motor; movement; neuroimaging.

FIGURE 1

Older and young adults likely recruit different brain areas. Whole-brain activation likelihood estimation (ALE) maps for (A) young adults, (B) older adults, and (C) conjunction of older and young adults (cluster-level inference corrected threshold at p < 0.05). All maps exhibited suprathreshold ALE values in left primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1), left supplementary motor area (SMA), bilateral insula, right anterior cerebellum, and left thalamus. In addition, older and young adult maps showed suprathreshold ALE values in regions of right SMA, dorsal premotor cortex, and left putamen. In the older adult map only, please note the suprathreshold ALE values in right SM1, extending into dorsal premotor cortex. L, left hemisphere; R, right hemisphere. Tables 3 and 4 provide the full list of ALE peaks for these maps.

FIGURE 2

Brain areas showing greater likelihood of activation in older compared with young adults. Whole-brain ALE maps for the older > young adult contrast (voxel-wise FDR correction at p < 0.05, k > 100 mm³). Suprathreshold ALE values were observed in right primary sensorimotor cortex, right dorsal premotor cortex, and supplementary motor area (A), and right supramarginal gyrus (B). L, left hemisphere; R, right hemisphere. Table 5 provides the full list of ALE peaks for this map.

FIGURE 3

Brain areas showing greater likelihood of activation in young compared with older adults. Whole-brain ALE maps for the young > older adult contrast (voxel-wise FDR correction at p < 0.05, k > 100 mm³). Suprathreshold ALE values were observed in antero-dorsal regions of medial premotor cortex (A) and right cerebellum (B). L, left hemisphere; R, right hemisphere. Table 5 provides the full list of ALE peaks for this map.

FIGURE 4

Older and young adults likely recruit different regions of medial premotor cortex. Midsagittal section (x = -5) of older > young adult (green) and young > older adult (blue) ALE contrasts (voxel-wise FDR corrected at p < 0.05). Young compared with older adults showed a greater likelihood of activation in a cluster extending into pre-SMA, whereas older compared with young adults showed a greater likelihood of activation in a postero-ventral region of SMA.