The Aging Brain [Guest Lecture] Flashcards
Term: accumulated positive and negative effects of the interaction with the self and environment over time
Aging
List 3 potential theories as to why aging occurs
Hayflick limit - cells can only divide a preset # of times; telomeres
Free Radical Damage
Alteration in the Endocrine system i.e. hormonal changes
List 3 reasons the brain is more suspectible to aging
- Slow or no cell division (potenitally limited neurogenesis)
- Damage has to be rerouted rather than repaired
- High energy demand leads to greater oxidative stress
List the Age Related Brain Changes
- Atrophy: decreased # of neurons, diameter, myelin thickness
- Reduced capillary density: thickened walls and basement membrane
- Metabolic changes: reduced insulin sensitivity and glucose/O2 use
Describe the changes to the brain mass with age
Weight declines: gyri atrophy, sulci widen, ventricles enlarge
Describe the decline in gray and white matter with age
Gray: decreases linearly from birth
White: peaks from 35-40 yo, then declines
Describe Functional Age Related Brain Changes
Decline in inhibition
Decreased speed, accuracy, and reliability of neural coding
Increased neural noise
Describe how functional age related brain changes and compensated for and the effect of those compensations
More regions of the brain must become activated to perform the same tasks.
This increase in brain activation leads to decreased accuracy, increased time to complete the task, and decreased ability to mutlitask
Describe the relationship between structural and functional changes in the brain
Funcitons are often attributed to regions and more likely the interaction and assocation between regions. Thus structural changes that affect the communicaiton and association between regions may be attributing to the change in function.
The bigger picture of regional interaction is more accurate than the small structural changes
Describe the most dominant theory of brain aging
Age-related cognitive slowing: older adults cognitive proccess slow and deteriorate as a function of the change in neurons
Describe the ability to learn in older adults
They have the ability to learn
Learning will be slower, and to a smaller degree unless given increase time to practice
Older adults also show less variability while learning new tasks
Describe the differences in variability in learning with younger and older individuals
Younger: lots of variabiliy, try more ways to complete task which allows for adaptation
Older: less variability, more concrete, may contribute to increased time needed to learn
Describe the ability of the elderly to complete a well known complex task.
If they continue to practice complex tasks they were previously experts at they will continue to possess that skill
Practice what you want to stay good at
Can hold on to highly complex tasks/high levels of performance if they continue to practice
List the benefits of phsyical activity
Lower risk of CVD and mortality
Increased aerobic fitness for function
Preserves mm and bone
Neuroprotection and improved cognition
List the benefits of exercise for the brain
- maintain greater brain volume; less atrophy
- improved reaction time
- altered brain activation
- decrease in cognitive decline
- delays dementia (>3x/wk)
Describe the appropriate dose of exercise for brain health benefits to be seen.
No dose response for attention: any amount of exercise results in same increase in simple attention
Dose response for visuospatial processing: the more the better
Best = ~ 4 hr/wk
Describe the functional declines related to AD
- Cognitive decline: executive function, sense of self, coordination
- Physical decline: lean mass and bone loss, sedentary,
Describe the physical function changes with AD
Gait: slower, variable stride length, wider BOS
Falls: worse balance, greater sway, poor mobility, poor safety awareness
Apraxia
Paratonia
Term: inability to perform particular purposive actions or manipulate tools/objects
Apraxia
Term: Variable resistance to movement in any direction
Paratonia
List the domains that exercise improves in those with AD
CVF, Strength, Flexilibyt, BMI, Function, Cognition
All EXCEPT Behavior
List the 5 Domains of Cognition
Executive function
Memory (working and episodic)
Language
Processing Speed
Attention
Term: ability to plan, organize, monitor execution of goal oriented behavior
Executive function
Term: capacity to hold and manipulate informaiton over a series of tasks
Working memory
Term: acquisition and retrieval of a sequence of events or new information
Episodic memory
