Influence of age on proprioceptive accuracy in two dimensions.

Slow arm movements were made over a smooth horizontal table at shoulder height. With visual cues excluded, target position was indicated by the index finger of the nonmoving arm touching the underside of the table. 134 subjects (including 26 left-handed subjects) in the age range 8.0 to 24.6 yr. were examined to see if the results were age-related. Accuracy slightly but significantly increased with age. The younger subjects showed a greater accuracy with the dominant hand—a situation which tended to be reversed in the older subjects.