Age-related change in the regulation of finger blood flow during concentrated finger perception

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Aging effect on sensory perception may be a reflection of cardiovascular regulation in the fingertips while the individual concentrates on finger perception. To investigate this thesis, we measured finger skin blood flow (FSBF), heart rate (HR), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) during Braille reading performed by young and elderly volunteers who were blindfolded. HR and MAP slightly increased during Braille reading. On the other hand, FSBF was decreased during Braille reading. The decrease in FSBF was much greater in young subjects than in elderly subjects. Moreover, a significant relationship was observed between the change in FSBF and tactile-pressure threshold (r=-0.56) in elderly peoples. These findings suggest that vasomotor control via sympathetic outflow during the finger discrimination task were changed by aging and might be associated with the control of finger perception.