I thought the process of cognitive decline was interesting. Cognitive decline slows down due to reduction of neurotransmitters
of the brain such as glutamate, acetylcholine, serotonin, and especially
dopamine (Berger, p.666). Several items contribute to the slowing down of
cognition such as current intellectual challenge, past education, and current
health. Better health, means better circulation, and faster thinking. Another
consequence of cognitive aging is the shrinkage of the hypothalamus and prefrontal
cortex. The prefrontal cortex in particular, leads to off-target verbosity (OTV).
OTV is prolific speech that is lacking in focus (Arbuckle, 2004). It’s caused
by inadequate inhibition (Berger, 667). A high level of OTV is a strong
motivation for talking to others and thus may offer protection against
loneliness (Arbuckle, 2004).
Gray matter inevitably (brain process responsible for
comprehending new experiences) decreases in old age. I found it interesting if
gray matter is small to begin with in young age, then the person’s openness to
new experiences in old age decreases even further. As a side note, I think this
reduction of openness to new experiences is a survival mechanism to prevent
older adults from adventuring out into unknown territory without full mental
and physical functioning capacity.
Arbuckle, T., 2004. Off-target
verbosity, everyday competence, and subjective well-being. Gerontology.
Sep-Oct; 50(5):291-7.
No comments:
Post a Comment