aging 2

Question 1

somatosensation

Muscle Spindles & Articular Receptors

Answer 1

Muscle Spindles & Articular Receptors
 ↑ Capsular thickness
 ↓ No. intrafusal fibres
 ↓ Spindle diameter
 Modified myosin chains
 Altered distal sensory axons  ↓ No. all joint receptor types
(Shaffer and Harrison, 2007)

Question 2

somatosensation

Clinical Observations

Answer 2

Clinical Observations
 ↓ Joint Position Sense (JPS) great toe
 ↓ JPS ankle (weight bearing & non-
weight bearing)
 ↓ JPS knee (partial weight bearing)
 ↓ JPS in older adults with knee OA

Question 3

functional implications

Answer 3

 ↓ Ability to detect position of body segments in space
 ↓ Sensitivity to rotation about ankle joint (postural sway)  Altered movement control in response to balance threats  ↓ Postural control: ↑ Risk of falls and related injury

Question 4

Cutaneous Receptors

Answer 4

Pacinian Corpuscle:
 ↓ Number
Meissner’s Corpuscle:
 ↓ Concentration
 ↓ Size and number

Question 5

Clinical Observations

Answer 5

 ↓ Vibration threshold testing
 ↓ Monofilament testing
 ↓ 2-point discrimination testing

Question 6

functional implications 2

Answer 6

 ↓ Tactile information about supporting surface
 ↓ Ability to detect change in location of foot pressure  ↓ Information to inform response to balance threats  ↓ Postural control: ↑ Risk of falls and related injury

Question 7

sensory reweighting

Answer 7

 Older adults prone to loss of balance:
◦ Unable to quickly select appropriate sensory cues when
the sensory environment changes
◦ Unable to use alternative sensory information in the
presence of sensory impairment
 Sensory manipulation:
◦ Healthy older adults: unstable, 2 senses manipulated ◦ Fall-prone older adults: unstable, 1 sense manipulated
 Potential sources:
◦ Degradation of ≥1 peripheral sensory systems ◦ Slowing of central processing mechanisms

Question 8

What age-related cognitive deficits could impact dual-task performance in older adults?

Answer 8

• ↓ Memory
• ↓ Executive function
• ↓ Processing speeds
• ↓ Ability to share attention
• ↓ Visuo-spatial awareness

Question 9

cognitive ageing

Answer 9

75 year old female with history of recurrent falls
• TUG (with cognitive task)
What changes do you observe in quantitative & qualitative gait performance?

Question 10

endocrine system

Answer 10

 ↓ Growth & reproductive hormones
◦ ↓ strength, bones, ↑ risk of OP
◦ Decline in target cell sensitivity
 E.g. Diabetes
◦ Menopause & steroid use → OP
 Thyroid function (↑ or ↓)
◦ Hypothyroidism:
 ↓ attention, concentration, memory, language, perceptual & executive function
 Depression
 Muscle weakness, pain, cramps & stiffness
 Tiredness
 Unsteadiness

Question 11

vit D metabolism

Answer 11

 ↓ Muscle strength & bone mineralisation
(↑ Risk of OP)
 ↓ Psychomotor function
 ↑ Postural sway (↑ Risk of falls/fractures)

Question 12

Immune syste

Answer 12

↓ Innate & adaptive immunity (Castelo-Branco & Soveral, 2014)
◦ ↑ Susceptibility to bacterial infection
◦ Chronic (low-grade) inflammatory state ◦ Prolonged healing times

Question 13

Gastroinstestinal system

Answer 13

 Loss of teeth & ↓ saliva
◦ Preliminary digestion preparation
 ↓ Gastric contraction
◦ Delayed stomach emptying
 ↓ Pancreatic lipase
◦ Less effective fat absorption
 ↓ Liver weight, glycogen, ascorbic acid ◦ ↓ Protein synthesis (e.g. drugs)
 Malnutrition ◦ ↓ Mobility, loss of appetite, anaemia, ↓ immunity
 Constipation ◦ ↓ Muscle tone & weaker peristalsis of the colon