MOTOR PERFORMANCE AND MOTOR LEARNING AS A FUNCTION OF AGE AND FITNESS   Jennifer L. Etnier and Daniel M. Landers Arizona State Unversity   Past studies have shown that electroencephalographic alpha activity increases as people learn to perform a novel motor task.
Additionally, it has been suggested that motor performance and learning decline as people age beyond 60 years, and it has
been hypothesized that physical fitness may attenuate this decline through its impact on the cerebral environment.  This study
was designed to replicate past research by assessing changes in alpha activity as a function of learning and to extend past
research by examining differences in motor performance, motor learning, and alpha activity as a function of age and fitness.
VO2 max was assessed in 41 older (ages 60-80 years) and 42 younger (ages 20-30 years) participants.  Participants were
randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions, which differed in the amount of practice received.  Participants
performed trials on the mirror star trace on both an acquisition and a retention day.  Results indicated that younger participants
performed better and had greater learning than older participants.  Fitness was not found to impact either performance or
learning.  Participants in the experimental group improved more than those in the control group and maintained this difference at retention, which suggests that learning occurred.  Associated with these improvements in performance capabilities was an
increase in alpha power.