Motor skill learning age and augmented feedback

There is a steady increase in age of the population in the western world. In Europe, recent statistics show that approximately 20.7% of the people are over 60 years of age, and it is estimated that this figure will increase to 25.9% by the year 2020. These demographic changes put a substantial pressure on our health care resources because of the growing number of people that need some form of health care. Old age often implies a loss of independence as elderly people find themselves reliant on family and professional caregivers. However, emerging technologies may make it possible for elderly people to remain independent for a longer period of time, with the necessary support that is tailored to their individual needs. In addition, home-based training systems allow people to receive appropriate therapy outside a clinic (see chapter 3: Van Dijk & Hermens for a state of the art on distance training applications). This means that people can go home and continue to work on their recovery without the direct presence of a professional caregiver. Such a system might reduce the burden on health care resources. Within this context of emerging technolgies, augmented feedback is critical for the successful implementation of such a home-based training application. Here, the professional caregiver is (partly) being replaced by the augmented feedback provided by a certain training device. Augmented freedback has been identified as an important variable that enhances motor learning processes. Therefore, the present thesis focuses on the influence of age and augmented feedback on learning motor skills, In the introduction, we will shortly reflect on the definitions and theoretical backgrounds concerning motor skill learning and aumented feedback. The concepts of aging will briefly be discussed. Finally, the main goal of this thesis will be stated, and the outline of the thesis described.