1. Please describe the basic structures and organization in the brain.
The brain is made up of neurons. The features that make up the neurons are dendrites which receive signals from other neurons. Another part of the neuron is the axon which holds microfibers that carry information inside the neuron from the detricals to the endpoints of the neurons called terminal branches. The neurons in the brain communicate with one another through neurotransmitters that release chemicals.
2. What do age-related structural brain changes mean for behavior in an aging adult? Please include topics such as executive functioning, memory, and emotion.
As adults age their executive functioning start to slow down. The structural changes in the prefrontal cortex
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Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields (2015) state that there is research showing how brain plasticity can be enhanced through aerobic exercise (p.51). It is important that adults be active in their lives. A 30-minute walk or some type of physical activity will benefit them as the age. The text mentions a study done by Erickson and his colleagues in 2009 where they studied the effect of aerobic exercise on the hippocampus. They found that due to aerobic exercise it produced greater volume in the hippocampus. This is significant because the hippocampus is the part of the brain that is responsible for memory, emotions, and spatial functioning. The body does not only need physical activities to produce healthier cognitive functioning but also nutrients. The text identifies three nutrient biomarker patterns that are significant on the aging brain. These nutrients are vitamin B, C,D, and E, omega-3, and trans fat. the foods that belong to these nutrients are beneficial to the brain. Older adults should make an effort to include these nutrients into their diets. positive impacts these nutrients make are better cognitive functioning and greater brain
The prefrontal cortex, which is the anterior part of the frontal lobes, controls understanding consequences, impulse control, abstract thinking, long range planning, and mental flexibility (Ortiz 93-94). Researchers at UCLA, Harvard Medical School, and the National Institute of Health have been working together to understand brain development. Their research has shown that at a young age the brain overproduces gray matter, which is the overall thinking part of the brain. After this comes the pruning process in which gray matter is removed. Paul Thompson from UCLA describes this time as a "massive loss of brain tissue" (as quoted in Ortiz 94). The average amount of tissue lost per year is one to two percent (Ortiz 94). While this pruning process is taking place the myelination is occurring simultaneously. Myelination is when white matter, what insulates the brain, makes brain process more efficient. This process is also thought to shape brains neural connections for adulthood (Ortiz 95). With age, the brain becomes denser and more organized which makes it better at processing and understanding information. Changes in the brain also can happen late into the twenty's (Beckman 3). A member of the UCLA research team reported that "[The] frontal lobe undergoes the most change during adolescence-by far. It is also the last part of the brain development" (as quoted in Ortiz 94). For most, full brain development is reached during the ages
Quadagno (2014) discusses ways cognitive abilities differ from young-adults, middle-old adults and oldest old adults. Cognitive decline can also be affected by conditions such as stroke, depression, diabetes, auditory, and vision problems. Older adults may also encounter age related cognitive decline in their daily lives. Cognitive abilities such as processing speed, episodic memory, working memory and dual task processing are abilities that researchers are aiming to improve in older adults (Basak, et al, 2008; Quadagno, 2014).
Neurons, nerve cells, have three basic parts: the cell body, dendrites, and axon. Neurons transmit signals to other nerve cells and throughout the body. They are simple components in the nervous system. The cell body includes the nucleus, which is the control center of the neuron. The dendrite branches off the cell body and receives information. The axon is attached to the cell body and sends information away from the cell body to other cells. When the axon goes through myelination, the axon part of the neuron becomes covered and insulated with fat cells, myelin sheath. This increases the speed and efficiency of information processing in the nervous system. Synapse are gaps between neurons, this is where connections between the axons and dendrites.
In the book Spark, written by Dr. John J. Ratey, he discusses how exercise can positively affect how your brain works. He provides studies and personal experiences to support the claims he makes. I always knew exercise would improve your life but never could have imagined how much it can affect your brain health as well. The chapter I thought spoke the most to me was chapter two, Learning: Grow Your Brain Cells.
There are also cognitive changes during middle adulthood. There is a mixed pattern of positive and negative changes in cognitive abilities. Processing speed starts to decrease during this time period however crystallized thought does not decline until older age (pg. 456). Working memory begins to decline however semantic memory continues to increase as we learning throughout our older years (ph 456). Usually most memory decline is during older age and can be attributed to Alzheimer’s disease of dementia.
Aging is a natural process of life however, studies show that there are some age-related decline in cognitive development. As a person grows older some brain cell dies, shrink, or weaken and cause some decline in brain functions. Some cognitive processes include attention, working memory, long-term memory, perception, and executive control. The material will explain the effect of aging on cognitive development by providing scholarly research proof.
There is ample evidence to demonstrate that through the normal ageing process alterations to the brain in structure and function are directly related to cognitive changes (Glisky, 2007). With an increasing ageing population strategies for prevention of disease and age related cognitive decline are necessary to improve quality of life and reduce the associated healthcare costs (Australian Government Productivity Commission [AGPC], 2013). Physical exercise is known to be crucial in maintaining physiological health; it can also be used as a means of neuroprotection and assist in modifiable risk factors for improved brain health and subsequent cognitive function. This review will critically analyse current research into the effects of exercise
The brain ages just as our body ages; its ability to function and physical appearance change over time. Physical changes to the brain often include shrinking and death of neurons, decrease in neurotransmitter synthesis and signaling, and decrease in cortical thickness. The hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus experience the most significant variances in the aging brain. These three regions can account for up 25-100% of the cognitive variance seen when comparing aged and younger individuals. Additionally, the brain can have losses of up to 50% of myelinated
The articles by Erikson et al., Gatz, Korol et al., and Draganski et al. explore the concept of increased physical activity and/or mental activity having effects on the cognitive function and development or deterioration of the brain as we age. Although I agree that physical exercise is critical in increasing cognitive function because of the health benefits it provides, as well as the increased blood flow and circulation throughout the body, I ultimately believe that a healthy brain is not achieved solely by physical exercise or mental exercise, but both. I think there is a link between physical and mental exercise, and that the combination of these two activities creates higher cognitive functioning of the mind as well as the body. The mind and body come together and meet to make an overall healthy individual.
As age increases, we can expect some loss of heart, lung, joint, and sexual functioning. Some loss of brain cells and mental efficiency is a normal part of
Studies have indicated that exercise improves memory and cognition in older adults and we know nutrition at all stages of life has an important role. All of these ways to keep the brain healthy and even improve its health are, in a sense, external. What can the brain do to help itself? At what point in development should it start? This is not a question a parent thinks about for their child when contemplating their welfare. It is not something one thinks about as a child, adolescent, young adult or even mature or senior adult. There are more “important” things to consider than to try speculating on a future so far ahead as to whether a person is going to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or dementia.
Cognitive aging is commonly labeled strictly as memory and only found in “some people”. However, this is not true. The knowledge of cognitive aging has grown immensely, but there is still much to be learned. The surface has only been scratched with many more questions to be answered. Cognitive aging is worthy of study and effects everyone, but there is also much more is still to be learned.
One of the side effects of the normal aging process on the brain is the dilapidation of cerebral white matter, which according to previous studies correlates to poorer cognitive functioning. This research experiment is an in-depth study of the neurological components of aging in terms of white matter integrity, working memory, and cognitive function in relation to aerobic exercise. A team of scientists from various universities conducted this exercise intervention study and it spans a twelve-month period where participants were subject to a series of cognitive tests and digital imaging scans in addition to a newly implemented exercise program for one whole year. The main objective of the study was to assess and calculate the percentage (if any) of influence aerobic exercise has on cerebral white matter durability and corresponding cognitive functions in comparison to nonaerobic exercise. The researchers hypothesized to find a positive correlation between aerobic exercise and white matter integrity; they hoped to map these changes in particular regions throughout the brain (hypothetically) in an anterior-posterior descent. In order to assess the diffusion of white matter through specific regions of interest (ROI) in the brain measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusion (RD), and axial diffusion (AD) were taken from each participant throughout the course of the experiment using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). A DTI maps the structural properties of
Having a “Brain Healthy Lifestyle” (Bend, 2014) is made up of several different categories that include “physical health, brain fitness, and vitality” (Bend, 2014) as well as “balanced nutrition, stress management, and mental stimulation” (Sharpbrains, 2014). Our physical health plays a major part in brain function. Exercising our bodies, eating well, and getting the proper amount of sleep has a huge impact on our physical health. “Our brain requires 25% of the blood that is pumped by your heart. The healthier your heart is, the healthier your brain will be” (Bend, 2014). Cognitive fitness is demonstrated by uses of vocabulary, thinking, perception, and attention. It is crucial to make it a normal everyday practice to challenge our brains through new activities. Taking part in a cooking class or learning to
Finally, adulthood consists of early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. Early adulthood is a stage where individuals are physically in their best condition. Memory and thinking abilities are sharp, life decisions are made, and they take on roles of independence. Middle adulthood is when individuals start to reflect on their lives as a whole. Retirement planning and sadness over unaccomplished goals began to surface, during this particular stage. Some physical changes such as hearing and vision start to take place. Focusing more on health, relationships and becoming tolerable with death are all signs of late adulthood development. The immune system, vision, hearing, and muscle strength start to decline. Loss of memory is a cognitive trait that is related