Loomes A, Roberts R

It is possible to perceive some aspects of touched objects from static contact alone. However, objects are commonly and optimally explored using hand movements (active touch). Both the control of and sensations arising from the hands show age related changes. We measured tactile spatial sensitivity, manual dexterity and the control of normal and tangential forces during pressing and sliding contacts with textured surfaces in young and older adults. Differences in exploratory forces between the young and older groups were correlated with sensory and skin frictional differences in the young and old participant groups.