研究背景與目的: 動作意象是指想像動作正在執行但此時卻無任何的外顯性動作產生，過去研究顯示動作意象與動作執行會活化相類似的神經網絡，而側化準備電位(Lateral Readiness Potential; LRP)的表現是可用來了解個體的動作意象能力。然而，過去文獻大多只專注在年輕人動作意象能力的LRP表現，目前尚無研究是針對老年人與年輕人之間動作意象能力的LRP表現是否會有差異。因此， 本研究主要在探討老年人相對於年輕人是否在提示任務 (precuing task)時，會有較差的LRP表現，藉此了解老年人的動作意象能力。研究方法: 本實驗徵召21位年輕人 (平均年紀21.62±2.09歲) 及21位老年人 (平均年紀73.38±4.01歲)， 收集其執行提示任務時動作執行與動作意象的事件相關電位--LRP成分波，並以重複量數變異數分析收集的LRP潛時與振幅資料。結果: 在執行提示任務時，分別在動作執行與動作意象情境中老年人相對於年輕人需要較長的LRP-1與LRP-2潛時，此外在執行此任務時老年人相對於年輕人需要較大的LRP-1與LRP-2振幅。結論: 在執行提示任務時，健康的老年人相對於年輕人有較差LRP表現 (較大的振幅及較長的潛時)，其原因可能是因為老年人在視覺訊息處理與動作計畫方面需要較長的時間做反應, 以及老年人需要活化更多動作前準備區去做反應.

Background and Purpose: Motor imagery is movement that carried out mentally rather than physically. Most of the brain networks activated motor imagery are similar to those activated by motor execution. Several previous studies have well documented the elicitation of lateralized readiness potentials (LRPs) during motor imagery when individuals perform a precuing task with concomitant electrophysiological recording. Thus far, there seem to have been no studies on electrophysiological comparison between young and elderly adults when performing such a cognitive task. Hence, the current study was aimed to investigate whether elderly healthy adults exhibit worse LRP performance during a precuing task as compared to young adults to further understand the difference of motor imagery performance between these two groups. Materials/Methods: Twenty one elderly adults (73.38±4.01 years) and 21 young adults (21.62±2.09 years) performed a precuing task which consisted of two conditions, a motor execution condition and a motor imagery condition, while brain event-related potentials (ERP) were concurrently recorded. To determine the effect of age on motor execution and motor imagery ability, the onset of LRP latency and peak amplitudes were compared by using two-way ANOVA. Results: The old group had longer LRP-1 and LRP-2 latency as compared to the young group when carrying out precuing task in the execution and imagery condition. Besides, the old group exhibited larger LRP-1 and LRP-2 amplitude as compared to the young group when doing this precuing task in the execution and imagery condition. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that as compared to young adults, elderly healthy adults have worse LRP performance (larger amplitude and longer latency) in motor execution and motor imagery conditions during precuing task. This suggests that the old group requires more time to process the visual stimulus and to respond with the necessary motor programming. Besides, old group requires a larger activation on preprogramming area when doing such precuing task as compared to the young group.

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