What is Normal Cognitive Aging?

This article titled "What is Normal Cognitive Aging"... How memory and thinking ability change with age Scientists used to think that brain connections developed at a rapid pace in the first few years of life, until you reached your mental peak in your early 20s. Your cognitive abilities would level off at around middle age, and then start to gradually decline. We now know this is not true. Instead, scientists now see the brain as continuously changing and developing across the entire life span. There is no period in life when the brain and its functions just hold steady. Some cognitive functions become weaker with age, while others actually improve. Some brain areas, including the hippocampus, shrink in size. On the other hand, the branching of dendrites increases, and connections between distant brain areas strengthen. Age is also the biggest risk factor for many brain diseases, most of which affect brain structure and function. As a result of these changes, you will likely start to notice slight slips in your memory in middle age and beyond.

Aging & Cognitive Function How does aging affect memory and cognition (thinking)? Almost all of us become aware of changes in memory and cognition (thinking) as we get older. We begin to have difficulty recalling names of people and places, notice that our mental processing has slowed, and that learning is more difficult. We find that certain functions (for example, eye-hand coordination) are also slower. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. How common are dementia and Alzheimer's disease? It is generally acknowledged that dementia doubles in frequency every 5 years from the age of 65. Dementia — and particularly Alzheimer's disease — represent very significant public health problems, since the percentage of the population in this age group is rapidly increasing. When should memory loss become a concern? This question is difficult because memory loss can be influenced by many factors. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information enews

What are Cognitive Skills and Abilities? By: Dr. Pascale Michelon What is cog­ni­tion? Cog­ni­tion has to do with how a per­son under­stands the world and acts in it. It is the set of men­tal abil­i­ties or process­es that are part of near­ly every human action while we are awake. Cog­ni­tive abil­i­ties are brain-based skills we need to car­ry out any task from the sim­plest to the most com­plex. Cog­ni­tive abil­i­ties or skills are sup­port­ed by spe­cif­ic neu­ronal net­works. In the table below you can browse through the main brain func­tions involved in cog­ni­tion. With age, some cog­ni­tive abil­i­ties tend to decline, espe­cial­ly the so-called exec­u­tive func­tions, and those cog­ni­tive abil­i­ties that are not used reg­u­lar­ly. What Is Mild Cognitive Impairment? Some people with memory problems have a condition called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. MCI has several types. The type most associated with memory loss is called amnestic MCI. What Are the Symptoms of MCI? People with amnestic MCI have more memory problems than normal for people their age, but their symptoms are not as severe as those of people with Alzheimer's disease. Signs of MCI include: Losing things often Forgetting to go to events or appointments Having more trouble coming up with words than other people of the same age Movement difficulties and problems with the sense of smell have also been linked to MCI. How Is MCI Diagnosed? Family and friends may notice memory lapses, and the person with MCI may worry about losing his or her memory. Researchers have found that more people with MCI than those without it go on to develop Alzheimer's. Research suggests genetic factors may play a role in who will develop MCI, as they do in Alzheimer's. For More Information About MCI

Cognitive Skills and the Aging Brain: What to Expect | Dana Foundation Every day we perform hundreds of cognitive tasks but are mostly unaware of the effort involved. These tasks take different forms, such as noticing colors, remembering names, or calculating time on a watch. Measures of brain function using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) show that the most active areas of the brain vary according to the task being performed. Mental abilities change throughout life, first as a result of brain maturation and later with aging of brain cells and their billions of complex interconnections. Cognitive Changes with Aging Certain cognitive abilities show at least a small decline with advanced age in many, but not all, healthy individuals. Age hinders attention, particularly when it is necessary to multitask. Similarly, the ability to keep multiple pieces of information in mind at the same time is another skill that peaks around ages 18 to 20 and becomes more difficult thereafter. Cognitive Optimism Individual Differences in Aging Normal Brain Aging

This article titled "What are Cognitive Abilities and... Attention Deficit Can Come with Old Age Source: Are you old enough that this sounds familiar? Actually, memory problems like these affect most people at some time, but getting older can make such forgetting worse. These memory problems happen because you lose attention and get distracted. article continues after advertisement A brain-scan study at the University of Toronto found that older people, compared to young adults, have decreased brain activity in brain areas that enable concentration This means that older brains can't focus well, because the parts of the brain that enable concentration don't get active enough. To compound the problem, older people show increased activity in parts of the brain that don't normally get activated during memory tasks in younger people. Another study at the University of Illinois examined age-related increase in distractibility. Enough already! Another general strategy is to reduce the distractions in our life, at least distractions that are present when we are trying to remember something.

Exercise Helps Older People Stay Sharp and Remember More | National Center for Health Research Exercise has so many health benefits: it can help prevent osteoporosis, lower cholesterol, reduce the pain of fibromyalgia, ease the symptoms of menopause, and reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. But did you know that physical activity is also a fountain of youth for our brains? Some research suggests that, just by being active, seniors can improve their ability to think, focus, plan, and recall words, as well as perform many other brain activities. These brain activities (also called cognitive function)[1] include: LanguageThoughtMemoryExecutive function (the ability to plan and carry out tasks)JudgmentAttentionPerceptionRemembered skillsAbility to have a purposeful life Most of the research recommends aerobic exercise. What Kind of Exercise? The exercise doesn’t have to be done all at one time. Fortunately, a 2017 study found that any amount of physical activity can reduce the chances of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer. 1. 2. 3.

Siegelman and Rider (2017) have also mentioned that... Cognitive Health and Older Adults Cognitive health—the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember—is an important component of brain health. Others include: Motor function—how well you make and control movements Emotional function—how well you interpret and respond to emotions Sensory function—how well you feel and respond to sensations of touch, including pressure, pain, and temperature This guide focuses on cognitive health and what you can do to help maintain it. The following steps can help you function every day and stay independent—and they have been linked to cognitive health, too. Take Care of Your Physical Health Taking care of your physical health may help your cognitive health. Get recommended health screenings. Eat Healthy Foods A healthy diet can help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes. In general, a healthy diet consists of fruits and vegetables; whole grains; lean meats, fish, and poultry; and low-fat or non-fat dairy products. Be Physically Active Health Problems

Aerobic Exercise May Protect Aging Brains from Dementia Symptoms A new study finds that aerobic exercise may help combat changes in the brain associated with dementia.But any kind of exercise is associated with a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Other research is being done to see if cholesterol levels are associated with risk of developing dementia. Physical activity can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but new research finds aerobic exercise in particular may help slow shrinkage in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that deals with memory. Published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, this study compared cognitive function and brain size between 2 groups of sedentary older adults with memory issues. “We wanted to know if exercise prevents or improves neurocognitive function in older adults who have memory problems, thus, at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. “We also wanted to know if exercise would reduce brain atrophy and amyloid buildup, which are both neuroimaging biomarkers of Alzheimer’s,” he said.

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