Nervous System and Aging Flashcards
Certain parts of the brain shrink especially the
prefrontal and hippocampus
Changes in the Eyes
Dec tissue mass
Inc CT and fat
Dec blood supply
Inc opacity (cataract)
Implications of dec blood supply (vision/eyes)
Retinal atrophy - common cause is diabetes
Implications of inc opacity (vision/eyes)
Cataract
Inc threshold to light
Need 3X more light to see things as younger people would to see in normal light
Age changes in vision
Dec visual field Dec elasticity of lens Inc sclerosis of ciliary muscle Inc corneal degeneration Inc dropping of eyelids Dec tear production
Age changes in vision - dec elasticity of the lens - implications
Presbyopia
Harder to focus on objects that are near - usually starts around 40
Implications of dec tear production
Leads to irritation and infection
Hearing changes
Sclerotic changes in tympanic membrane (high freq hard to hear)
Dec discrimination
Deg of auditory nerve
Communication problems with changes in hearing
Might misunderstand the health care provider
Failure to hear them
Failure of them to ask questions
Social problems with changes in hearing
Withdrawal Isolation Impaired language understanding Confusion Paranoia Rigidity in thought process
Age changes in taste (mouth)
80% of taste buds atrophy
Dec saliva
Dec amylase
Consequences of changes in taste
Dry mouth Loss of some tastes Speech difficulty Swallowing difficulty Dental deterioration Dec appetite and engorement with food
Age changes in smell
Dec # of olfactory cells
Atrophy of olfactory bulbs (75% by 75-90)
Consequences of smell changes
Dec smell - stronger stimulus required
Impaired safety
Age changes - touch
Dec # of receptors and nerve fibers
Dec sensitivity
THinning, dec elasticity and vascularity of skin
