GRT 2100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Prefrontal Cortex, Aging Brain, Frontal Lobe

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Gerontology
• Course: GRT 2100
• Professor: Sonia Gulati

Document Summary

Lecture 4: aging and maturational changes: the aging brain, normal aging, role. Signs of aging (normal and primary): skin gets thinner as you age, more elastic, changes in digestive enzymes, fatigue/ sleep issues, hair turns grey, hearing declines, a. k. a presbycusis (age related hearing loss, menopause. Impaired/ secondary aging: developing cancer, diabetes, depression. Optimal/ successful aging (slowing it down): special diets, exercise, some anti-aging medicine. Positive aspects of aging: mental structures in which you interpret the world expand to organize aspects of the world more clearly; better to assimilate and accommodate. - brains ability to change structurally/ functional can occur in 2 ways, learning / experience and damage to the brain. Psychosocial factors that affect sleep: stress; greater worries/ levels of stress, reduced activity during the day, medications. People vary (genetics, educational and occupation backgrounds, leisure activities you engage in, etc. ) To preserve healthy brain aging: eating more fruits and veggies.