Running Head: PHYSIOLOGICAL AGING PROCESS 1.
Neurologic System or Sensory Changes in Older Adult
Blessing Ngodo Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing NURS 4292 Patient Education March 1st, 2017
Professor George Crippen
Physiological Aging Process 2. The nervous system (NS)consists of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous (PNS.) It is a complex network of nerves and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of the body. The NS integrate all physical, emotional, and intellectual activities. These two structures
…show more content…
Changes in bodily structures and functions in sensory, emotional and mental aspects are part of normal ageing process. Changes in cognitive competence occur due to conditions such as depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Healthcare professionals should have a good understanding of the degenerative changes in ageing, to be able to differentiate normality and abnormality in older adults. (Schapkin; Freude; Gajewski; Wild-Wall; & Falkenstein; 2012.) Changes in vision occur because of the lens and
The nervous system is one of the body’s complex functions that contain a network of cells and nerves that transmit signals from the brain and spinal cord to different areas of the body. It is categorized into two groups; the central nervous system which is made up of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system which contains the body’s nervous tissue and is where neurologic responses occur. Homeostasis, which is the process in which thermoregulation is maintained, also happens in this area.
The nervous system in general is quite a complex and sophisticated system which is responsible for regulating and coordinating the body’s activities. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, mainly responsible for gathering information and responds to any changes within environment.
Through the journey, one must consider many aging factors and decide if these are true generalizations of aging or are myths of aging propagated by the movie. Specifically, the myths that will be examined in this paper are: 1) Are there life experiences that contribute to depression in the elderly population? 2) How do vision and hearing impairments affect an older adult's overall mental status? And finally, 3) is there any relation between having a physical mobility deficits and depression? Through this examination of my propagated in "UP", the reader will gain better insight into what are true generalizations vs. myths about the elderly.
The nervous system is a chain of interconnected nerve fibers which is constructed by the central nervous system and Peripheral nervous system. The job of the nervous system is to send messages from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body.
Within the last century, and even merely in the past decade, incredible advancements in technology have allowed modern medicine to rapidly progress to extraordinary levels, leaving scientists with unprecedented understanding of the human body, and of the aging process especially. While the field of gerontology has flourished as a result and knowledge of physiological changes in the aging body increased, scientists still only have a some-what fundamental understanding of the normal aging brain, and even less of abnormal age-related changes in the brain.
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.
As time progresses so does the wearing down of our bodies and minds. Our reflexes slow, our sight may not be as precise as it used to be in youth. Age takes a toll on our bodies. One might argue therefore that the most complex organ should be the last to deteriorate. The brain is the most important part of one’ body. It controls vital body functions that once compromised can cause major changes in our daily lives as well as having many socio-economic impacts. More importantly the brain allows us to experience the human condition. The brain determines who we are, without it we are lost.
The peripheral nervous system, or PNS, is the part of the nervous system responsible with carrying sensory information (a person’s senses) and motor information (a person’s coordination) to and from the central nervous system (CNS, the part that takes the information and applies it to the body), as well as throughout the whole body. Both parts of the nervous system are made up of nerve cells, or neurons, which carry the electrical impulses that contain the information sent between the PNS and CNS. The neurons
There are many changes occurs in middle-aged adult. Some of the physical concerns are vision, skin and diabetes. Visual changes starts in the 40’s. “You can find someone
The physiological aging signifies to the changes in structure and body functioning that happen over a lifetime. Some of these changes are involuntary and happen very slowly while other changes happen in a short period of time. The physiological changes that usually happen are cardiovascular system which reduce the elasticity of the blood vessels and heart valves, regulated blood stream due to the thickening of the vessel walls and as the fatty deposits lining the vessels and a reduce the ability of the heart pump out as much blood with each beat. For this reason, you can feel fatigued, develop short of breath and get simply less ability to physical effort.
The nervous system is the master communications and controlling system of the body. It is organized into two main divisions: the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) and the Central Nervous System (CNS). CNS
The nervous system comprise of the CNS and peripheral nervous system. The brain and spinal cord make up the CNS, while the autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system makes up the peripheral nervous system illustrated in figure 1 below.
The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system work together to collect information from within the body and from the environment outside it. The systems process all the collected information and send instructions to the body; to obtain an appropriate response. Once the data arrives, the brain will sort and file it before sending out any commands on what to do. The central system is the main command center of the body that contains the brain as well as the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system contains a network of nerves that connect the rest of the body to the central nervous system.
Advancing age is a common hindrance to the proper functioning of the body senses. The eyes will have difficulty focusing on near and distant objects. Adapting to different levels of light is the other common problem. Cataracts, also called clouding of vision is another common condition that results from changes in eye’s lens. Hearing abilities also diminish. With this, you will have difficulties following a conversation or hearing high frequencies.