Strength and coordination change over the course of our lives, decreasing dramatically with age. But when it comes to the fine motor skills of our hands and fingers, this is not the case. This discovery was made by a research group led by UZH developmental pediatrician Oskar Jenni. Percentile reference curves could make reduced performance more recognizable in practice.

Dexterity, coordination and balance are all extremely important throughout our lives, but these skills change between early childhood and old age. At which stage of our lives do we have the best balance? Do fine and gross motor skills continue to decline with age?

Researchers from the University of Zurich and the University Children’s Hospital Zurich sought to answer these questions. They evaluated data from 1,620 people aged 6 to 80 who participated in a standardized test of their neuromotor functions between 1983 and 2023. The Zurich Neuromotor Assessment (ZNA) measures fine motor skills (finger dexterity, agility), gross motor skills (jumping ability, coordination), balance (balancing with eyes open and closed), quality of movements (such as involuntary movements) as well as repetitive and serial movements (fast hand and foot movements).

“The advantage of this test is that all age groups, from schoolchildren to seniors, perform the same exercises. Only the number of repetitions is adjusted according to age. As a result, the data obtained are ideal for comparison,” says first author Tanja Kakebeeke, who works at the Children’s Hospital Zurich.

Strength and balance decline earlier than fine motor function

The results of the study show that motor skills develop most rapidly in children up to around the age of 10. Adults reach peak performance in terms of strength, balance and coordination between the ages of 20 to 35, with men around one year behind women on average. As age increases, motor function declines in most tasks.

Women tend to perform better in fine motor skills and balance, while men score higher in gross motor and strength tasks. Those with a high body mass index have poorer balance and gross motor skills.

In addition, it is clear that gross motor skills, balance and muscle strength decrease faster with age. Meanwhile, fine motor skills remain stable into old age.

Standards for clinical application

The percentile reference curves for neuromotor functions published by the research group make it possible to compare the individual performance of patients aged 6 to 80 years with age-specific standards in four clinically relevant areas. “This enables us to detect relevant deviations or early performance decline, particularly in childhood and old age, and if necessary, to initiate therapeutic measures,” explains last author Oskar Jenni, professor of developmental pediatrics at the University of Zurich. It is therefore important to work on muscle strength and balance in old age, remain active, and exercise as much and as for long as possible.