Aging Flashcards
How does genetic contribute to aging?
- 20% contribution to longevity
- DNA damage
- DNA repair capacity
External factors contribute (BLANK) % to longevity
80%
What are some environmental external factors that contribute to aging?
Exposure to:
- pollutants/ toxins
- Bacteria/ viruses
- Damage to nervous system
What are some lifestyle external factors that contribute to aging?
- Exercise
- Diet
- Stress
- Self efficacy (self limiting perspective)
What are some psychosocial external factors that contribute to aging?
- Social relationships
- Feelings of loneliness
- Quality of life
Exercise has been shown to improve?
- CV health & aerobic power
- Muscle strength & physical function
- Flexibility
- Control obesity
- Mental functions
- Improve biological age by 10-20 years
As we age what happens to our connective tissue?
- Altered ability to maintain & repair
- Decrease water concentration
- Collagen & elastin become more stiff and brittle
As we age what happens to our cartilage?
- Calcification
- Decrease water content
- Intervertebral discs shrink & crack (increase load on other structures)
As we age there are changes to connective tissue and cartilage, ultimately these changes lead to what?
- Decreased load and energy absorption
- Increased risk of injury
- Functional implications
What is sarcopenia and when does it occur?
- Sarcopenia: Loss of muscle strength and functional quality
- As we age 1-3% per year >50
What happens to skeletal muscle as we age?
- Sarcopenia
- Decrease in number and diameter of mm fibers
- Muscle fibers become fat or collagen
- Maximize reserve before loss of function
What happens to bone as we age?
- Decrease in subchondral bone
- Osteopenia
What is osteopenia?
Increased osteoclast activity and decreased osteoblast
What are the functional implications due to musculoskeletal changes with age?
- Loss of ROM
- Pain
- Postural management
- Decreased load tolerance and absorption
- Morbidity and mortality
Because of the functional implication due to changes of musculoskeletal system with aging what ultimately occurs?
- Increase risk of injury, falls & fx
- Increase in pain
- Decrease mobility, function & participation
What are some postural changes with aging?
- Forward head
- Thoracic kyphosis
As we age there are structural changes seen in the heart and vascular system what does this cause?
- Reduced contractility, valve dysfunction, fibrosis
- Decreased heart rate max (which not altered by exercise)
What are some cardiovascular changes with aging according to thoracic spine?
- Thorax is stiffer
- Increased kyphosis diminishing rib care mobility
Cardiovascular changes with age cause diminished elastic recoil of the lung causes what to happen?
- Decreased lung volume then less oxygen reaching tissues
What are some cardiopulmonary changes with aging?
- Decreased cardiac output
- Decreased oxygen delivery
- Decreased aerobic capacity
As we age there is a loss of sensory receptors which can cause what?
Decline in somatic senses (fine touch, pressure, vibration)
As we age we loose hair and nerve cells which can cause what?
Dizziness/vertigo leads to increased fall risk
Why does visual/hearing decline rapidly between 60-80 y/o?
- Decreased acuity, contrast sensitivity, depth perception
- Cataracts, macular degeneration
What happens to taste/smell after 60 y/o?
Decreases
What are some neurological changes with aging?
- Loss of myelin
- Axonal loss
- Waste products accumulate between and inside neurons
What does a loss of myelin cause?
- Slow conduction velocity
- Slow response time/reaction time
What does axonal loss cause?
- Decreased muscle activation (less muscle mass)
- Reduced ability to feel (sensory perception)
Neurological changes with aging cause (Decline or Incline) in brain weight/volume
Decline
Why is there a decline in brain weight/volume as we age?
Loss of gray and white matter
Why doe we loose gray and white matter as we age?
- Gray: Neuronal atrophy/cell death
- White: Axonal loss and decreased myelination
The decline in brain weight/volume is not uniform what areas are most impacted?
- Prefrontal cortex
- Striatum (basal ganglia)
- Temporal lobe
- Cerebellum
- Hippocampus
What is the implications of the decline in brain weight/volume?
Decline in:
- Higher level executive function
- Memory
- Motor control
- Motor learning
What are the changes with information processing as we age?
- Decrease sensory input (reduces processing speed)
- Slower reaction time
As we age what changes between accuracy vs speed?
- Accuracy: good
- Speed: reduced
As we age what are the changes to attention?
- Decreased attentional capacity
- Decreased ability to divide attention
- Increased dual task costs
There are less age related decline in what types of memory?
- Semantic
- Remote
What type of memory decline with aging?
- Working memory (shorter chunks)
- Episodic memory (memory of events)
As we age what are some change in steady state control?
- Increased sway
- Reduced limits of stability
- True capacity better determined with increased challenge (eyes closed, decrease BOS)
As we age what are some changes in anticipatory postural control?
- Slower activation of both postural (activation prior to movement) and mover muscles
- Decreased ability to stabilize the body in advance of voluntary movements
As we age what are some changes in reactive postural control?
- Impaired timing of muscles
- Hip > Ankle strategies
- Take >1 step (shorter step, slower step velocity, more co activation)
- Lateral stepping (less likely to cross over, sustain more limb collisions)
What are falls associated with?
- Morbidity and mortality
- Loss of independence
- Social isolation
- Fear
- Activity restriction
What are some age related changes that may contribute to fall risk?
- Muscle weakness
- Sensory impairments
- Slower nerve conduction
- Postural alignment
- Slower/less effective anticipatory/reactive postural control
- Slower processing & response
Name some psychosocial aspects of aging
- Adjustment to retirement
- Loss of lifetime roles
- Isolation
- Loss of others close to them
- Loss of independence
- Depression
Older adults have reduced performance but are able to demonstrate motor learning when the task have what demands?
- Simple
- Task specific & functional
What is the difference between part vs whole practice on motor learning with older adults?
- Mixed results
- Part may reduce processing demands
- Whole practice may produce a better movement quality
For motor learning in older adults which is better Blocked or Random?
Random practice may decrease performance but enhance retention
For motor learning in older adults which is better massed or distributed?
Distributed practice may decrease performance but enhances retention & reduces risk of injury
What type of feedback improves motor learning with older population?
- Rely on visual feedback
- Sensory information processing is reduced with age
- Implicit learning may be better for older adults
- Knowledge of results is better
