Skin sensation, or the ability to detect contact on the skin, declines with age. Manual dexterity and fine motor control of the hand also decline with age.

In this study we have made an extensive survey of the sensation in the hand using multiple tools and up to 10 testing sites in people aged from 20 – 90. We also looked at the properties of the skin, manual dexterity and strength, all in the same group of subjects.Although sensation has been studied before, the detailed approach of this study has shown the pattern of changes is much more complex than previously thought.