The Aging Neuromuscular System Flashcards
What two factors contribute to decreased brain weight in an aging adult?
Neuron Loss (decreased grey matter) Myelin Loss (decreased white matter)
What happens to impulse conduction rate and conduction velocity as we age?
It becomes more delayed
As we age how does the vestibular system change?
the number of hair cells and receptor ganglion cells decreases
How does blood flow and glucose metabolism in the brain change as we age?
They both decrease
What functional deficits are commonly effected with CNS aging?
- delayed memory recall
- rote memory decreases (memorization and ability to recite information)
- altered gait, balance, and fine motor control
- diminished motor learning
- decreasing activity level
What are common CNS pathologies with an aging adult?
- cerebral vascular accident (CVA)
- TBI
- Parkinson’s
- Dementia
What happens to the level of sympathetic activity as we age?
Increases
What happens with fiber grouping in a muscle as we age?
decreased number of neuron’s per muscle fiber
How does the internodal length change as we age?
It increases
As the PNS changes with age how does the level of motor unit recruitment for normal tasks change?
Increased recruitment due to more work required to do a task
What happens with resting blood pressure as we age?
Increases
What is the H-reflex latency and how does it change as we age?
The closer a muscle is to the spinal cord the faster it can respond to stimulus (e.g the pectoral muscles can respond faster than the finger flexors)
As we age the latency of our muscles increases
What happens to nerve fibers in the PNS as we age?
decrease number and density of myelinated peripheral nerve fibers as well as the thickness of the remaining fibers. Overall this leads to decreased nerve conduction velocity and action potentials.
When does normal aging vision loss begin to occur?
after the 3rd decade of life
What is presbyopia?
decreased flexibility of the lens to accommodate from far to near
In what ways is it normal for an eye to deteriorate as we age?
- decrease elasticity of the lens
- decrease recovery from glare
- decrease tear production
- decrease acuity
- decrease visual fields
What is the most common disease of the eye in patients over 80 years old?
Cataracts
What type of home environmental modification can be made for a patient who has developed a decreased ability to see contrasts?
highlights obstacles or changes in floor surface levels
What compensatory measures can be made for patients with decreased visual acuity?
- corrective lenses
- using larger print
- tactile cues for phone, oven, or microwave dials
True or false: Errors in visual acuity have the largest impact on balance for aging adults.
False, proprioception errors have a bigger effect on balance than vision
impairments with proprioception are associated with increased fall risk, which PTs need to address using sensory strategies to improve
What is Presbycusis? How does it effect each gender?
the decline of hearing with age
effects both genders but men especially lose hearing for higher frequencies
usually presents as patient having a hard time tuning out background noise
When speaking with a patient that has had their hearing impaired what are good strategies to communicate with them?
- Always ask what best works for the individual patient
- use a lower tone
- face the person when possible
- avoid “elderspeak”
- avoid jumping from one topic to another
- slow rate of speech appropriately
What is hyposmia and anosmia?
As we age how does our risk for these change?
hyposmia-decreased smell
anosmia-loss of smell
higher prevalence of both as we age
What implications are there with loss of smell?
Can create a safety risk (inability to smell a gas leak)
Impairs ability to taste and enjoy food
thirst sensation declines
