Demographic and experimental data of young and elderly subjects
| Young (<46 years old) | Elderly (≥46 years old) | |
|---|---|---|
| N | 69 | 69 |
| Sex (F) | 48 | 42 |
| Age, years, mean ± SD (range) | 28 ± 7.3 (17–45) | 67.9 ± 8.5 (47–86) |
| Medication (N) | 37 | |
| Anticonvulsant | 0 | |
| Antidepressant | 0 | |
| Antihypertensive | 32 | |
| Beta-blocker | 12 | |
| ASA | 11 | |
| NSAID | 3 | |
| Antacids | 4 | |
| Steroids | 3 | |
| Statins | 11 | |
| Thyroxine | 8 | |
| Tamsulosin (α1a-selective alpha blocker) | 4 | |
| Others (Mictonorm, Norfloxacin, Phenprocoumon, Quinine Sulphate) | 4 | |
| Stimulation intensity (mean ± SEM) | 2.28 ± 0.81** | 3.89 ± 0.25 |
| Single-pulse A1 (μV; mean ± SEM) | 4.62 ± 0.35 | 4.55 ± 0.39 |
| Paired-pulse A1 (μV; mean ± SEM) | 4.02 ± 0.27 | 4.32 ± 0.38 |
| Paired-pulse A2 (μV; mean ± SEM) | 1.77 ± 0.14** | 2.72 ± 0.33 |
| Ratio A2/A1 (mean ± SEM) | 0.45 ± 0.03*** | 0.64 ± 0.05 |
| Two-point discrimination thresholds (mm; mean ± SEM) | 3.33 ± 0.14 | |
| For elderly subjects with ratios <1 (N = 13) | 3.07 ± 0.18 | |
| For elderly subjects with ratios >1 (N = 13) | 3.58 ± 0.18 |