As more injuries accumulate, these mechanisms become progressively dysregulated, thereby allowing functional degeneration to ensue.
The normal body consists of a wide range of cellular and molecular mechanisms that are responsible for ensuring survival over the short term, including choosing reproduction over longevity. This remains even more important considering that people over the age of 65 account for over 25% of Western populations today. The current decade has been referred to as ‘the decade of healthy aging’ by the World Health Organization (WHO), thus indicating the great value placed on protecting the physical and mental wellbeing of the elderly. Conversely, with neural aging, functional ability and competence that are necessary for mental wellbeing are not developed or maintained successfully. In normal aging, older adults continue to enjoy mental well-being, even as they suffer some loss of physical and cognitive function. The aim of the current study by University of Amsterdam researchers is to distinguish normal aging from neural aging using both neurobiological and neuropsychological markers. Aging is a primary risk factor for decreased mental agility and vigor, as well as for age-related cognitive decline in individuals with apparently normal aging brains. Neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke are most common among those over the age of 55. Study: Horizons in Human Aging Neuroscience: From Normal Neural Aging to Mental (Fr)Agility. Age is a major risk factor however, the increased rate of these disorders is also related to cognitive impairment in the absence of obvious neurodegeneration.Ī new Frontiers in Human Neurosciencereview paper describes alterations at the molecular and cellular levels, as well as within the neuronal network, that underly brain aging in otherwise healthy elderly adults. The prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders has increased over the past several decades for several reasons. Liji Thomas, MD Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.