Large Reaching Datasets Quantify the Impact of Age, Sex/Gender, and Experience on Motor Control

Abstract

As we age, our movements become slower and less precise - but the extent of this decline remains unclear. To address this, we harmonized data from 2,185 participants across four published studies using a standard center-out reaching task. We found that older age was associated with a steady decline in reaction time (-1.2 ms/year), movement time (-2.3 ms/year), and movement precision (-0.02{degrees}/year). Although the rate of decline did not differ by sex/gender, females consistently reacted more slowly (-8 ms), moved more slowly (-37 ms), and exhibited greater precision (+0.5{degrees}) across the adult lifespan. Notably, sex/gender differences attenuated after accounting for experiential factors such as video game use and the amount of sleep per day, whereas age remained a robust and consistent predictor of motor decline. Together, these findings provide a large-scale quantification of age, sex/gender, and experiential effects on motor control, offering a normative benchmark to inform future clinical interventions aimed at preserving motor function across the lifespan.