Kakebeeke Tanja H, Caflisch Jon, Chaouch Aziz, Rousson Valentin, Wehrle Flavia M, Jenni Oskar G
Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Front Aging Neurosci. 2025 Jul 29;17:1543408. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1543408. eCollection 2025.
To investigate the dynamics of neuromotor functions from 6 to 80 years with the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment (ZNA) and to provide reference curves for clinical and research use.
Neuromotor data on 1620 individuals (828 females) measured with the ZNA and ZNA-2 between 1983 and 2023 were extracted from 11 studies, all performed at the same center in the region of Zurich, Switzerland. Performance on 14 motor tasks was modeled as a function of age and sex while controlling for differences in testing procedures that occurred over the period spanned by the studies. The age of peak performance was identified for each task. Motor performance was converted into standard deviation scores (SDSs) at the task level and combined into the five motor components of the ZNA-2: fine motor, pure motor, balance, gross motor, and contralateral associated movements. The effect of body mass index (BMI) on motor component SDSs was also investigated.
The data showed a rapid increase in motor functions during the first years, particularly before age 10 years, followed by a leveling in performance between the ages of 20 and 40 years. Afterward, a decrease in motor functions was observed in most tasks. However, the age of peak performance and the rate of decline varied greatly between the tasks: motor functions in tasks requiring muscle force deteriorated faster than those involving isolated movements, which showed only mild declines at older ages. Males reached peak performance on average 1 year later than females. High BMI (SDS > 1) was associated with lower balance and poorer gross motor functions.
Neuromotor functions undergo dynamic changes throughout the lifespan from early childhood to older adulthood, with peak performances and declines depending on type of motor task and sex. High BMI negatively impacts balance and gross motor functions but not other neuromotor domains. Our findings may inform clinical practice and interventions aimed at optimizing motor functions across the lifespan.
使用苏黎世神经运动评估（ZNA）研究6至80岁人群神经运动功能的动态变化，并提供用于临床和研究的参考曲线。
从11项研究中提取了1983年至2023年间使用ZNA和ZNA - 2对1620名个体（828名女性）进行测量的神经运动数据，所有研究均在瑞士苏黎世地区的同一中心进行。在控制研究期间测试程序差异的同时，将14项运动任务的表现建模为年龄和性别的函数。确定了每项任务的最佳表现年龄。运动表现被转换为任务水平的标准差分数（SDS），并合并为ZNA - 2的五个运动成分：精细运动、纯运动、平衡、粗大运动和对侧关联运动。还研究了体重指数（BMI）对运动成分SDS的影响。
数据显示，在最初几年，尤其是10岁之前，运动功能迅速提高，随后在20至40岁之间表现趋于平稳。之后，在大多数任务中观察到运动功能下降。然而，最佳表现年龄和下降速度在不同任务之间差异很大：需要肌肉力量的任务中的运动功能比涉及孤立运动的任务恶化得更快，后者在老年时仅表现出轻微下降。男性达到最佳表现的平均年龄比女性晚1年。高BMI（SDS>1）与较低的平衡能力和较差的粗大运动功能相关。
从幼儿期到成年后期，神经运动功能在整个生命周期中经历动态变化，最佳表现和下降情况取决于运动任务类型和性别。高BMI对平衡和粗大运动功能有负面影响，但对其他神经运动领域没有影响。我们的研究结果可为旨在优化整个生命周期运动功能的临床实践和干预提供参考。
