The Aging Brain


Book Description

Finalist in the 2020 PROSE Awards This multidisciplinary volume examines the neural mechanisms underlying changes in the aging brain, changes in learning and memory, risk and protective factors, and the assessment and prevention of cognitive decline.




Cognitive Changes of the Aging Brain


Book Description

Examines the alterations of cognition, perception, and behavior that occur with healthy brain aging, their mechanisms, and their management.




Brain Aging


Book Description

Recognition that aging is not the accumulation of disease, but rather comprises fundamental biological processes that are amenable to experimental study, is the basis for the recent growth of experimental biogerontology. As increasingly sophisticated studies provide greater understanding of what occurs in the aging brain and how these changes occur




Cognitive Aging


Book Description

For most Americans, staying "mentally sharp" as they age is a very high priority. Declines in memory and decision-making abilities may trigger fears of Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. However, cognitive aging is a natural process that can have both positive and negative effects on cognitive function in older adults - effects that vary widely among individuals. At this point in time, when the older population is rapidly growing in the United States and across the globe, it is important to examine what is known about cognitive aging and to identify and promote actions that individuals, organizations, communities, and society can take to help older adults maintain and improve their cognitive health. Cognitive Aging assesses the public health dimensions of cognitive aging with an emphasis on definitions and terminology, epidemiology and surveillance, prevention and intervention, education of health professionals, and public awareness and education. This report makes specific recommendations for individuals to reduce the risks of cognitive decline with aging. Aging is inevitable, but there are actions that can be taken by individuals, families, communities, and society that may help to prevent or ameliorate the impact of aging on the brain, understand more about its impact, and help older adults live more fully and independent lives. Cognitive aging is not just an individual or a family or a health care system challenge. It is an issue that affects the fabric of society and requires actions by many and varied stakeholders. Cognitive Aging offers clear steps that individuals, families, communities, health care providers and systems, financial organizations, community groups, public health agencies, and others can take to promote cognitive health and to help older adults live fuller and more independent lives. Ultimately, this report calls for a societal commitment to cognitive aging as a public health issue that requires prompt action across many sectors.




Neural Plasticity and Memory


Book Description

A comprehensive, multidisciplinary review, Neural Plasticity and Memory: From Genes to Brain Imaging provides an in-depth, up-to-date analysis of the study of the neurobiology of memory. Leading specialists share their scientific experience in the field, covering a wide range of topics where molecular, genetic, behavioral, and brain imaging techniq




When I'm 64


Book Description

By 2030 there will be about 70 million people in the United States who are older than 64. Approximately 26 percent of these will be racial and ethnic minorities. Overall, the older population will be more diverse and better educated than their earlier cohorts. The range of late-life outcomes is very dramatic with old age being a significantly different experience for financially secure and well-educated people than for poor and uneducated people. The early mission of behavioral science research focused on identifying problems of older adults, such as isolation, caregiving, and dementia. Today, the field of gerontology is more interdisciplinary. When I'm 64 examines how individual and social behavior play a role in understanding diverse outcomes in old age. It also explores the implications of an aging workforce on the economy. The book recommends that the National Institute on Aging focus its research support in social, personality, and life-span psychology in four areas: motivation and behavioral change; socioemotional influences on decision-making; the influence of social engagement on cognition; and the effects of stereotypes on self and others. When I'm 64 is a useful resource for policymakers, researchers and medical professionals.




Handbook of the Aging Brain


Book Description

Handbook of the Aging Brain brings together diverse scientific disciplines to cover the most recent research findings in an easy-to-read summary. Scientists and clinicians will find a wide spectrum of subjects including gerontology, neurology, psychology, molecular biology, and cellular biology. The book includes general chapters on the neuroanatomy and neurobiology of the aging brain, and moves on to discussion of specifics including signal transduction, cell death, and specific cellular and neurological changes associated with dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. Other chapters discuss the affect of aging on learning and memory, language, and cognition.




The Aging Brain


Book Description

While growing older is inevitable, many of the troubles we associate with aging--including dementia, disability, and an increased dependence on others--are not. The choices we make now can help us to maintain our vitality, a sharp mind, and our independence as we age. Filled with simple, everyday actions we can take to avoid disease, promote vitality, and prevent dementia and late onset Alzheimer's, The Aging Brain is an easy-to-use guide to maintaining brain and body health throughout our lives. Based on solid, up-to-date scientific research, the interventions explained in this book not only prevent progression toward dementia even in those who have already shown mild cognitive impairment, they also reduce disability and depression and keep people living independently longer than those who do not practice these methods. For anyone hoping to slow the aging process, as well as anyone who acts as a caregiver to someone at risk of or already beginning to suffer from dementia and other age-related diseases, this book offers a hopeful, healthy way forward.




The Better Brain Book


Book Description

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Grain Brain and New York Times bestseller Brain Maker... Loss of memory is not a natural part of aging—and this book explains why. Celebrated neurologist David Perlmutter reveals how everyday memory-loss—misplacing car keys, forgetting a name, losing concentration in meetings—is actually a warning sign of a distressed brain. Here he and Carol Colman offer a simple plan for repairing those problems, clarifying misconstrued connections between memory loss and aging, and regaining and maintaining mental clarity by offering the tools for: Building a better brain through nutrition, lifestyle changes, and brain workouts Coping with specific brain disorders such as stroke, vascular dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, and Lou Gehrig's disease Understanding risk factors and individually tailoring a diet and supplementary program Features a "Life Style Audit," quizzes, a brain fitness program with the most effective ways to exercise your brain, and a nutritional program that details the best brain food and supplements.




The Aging Mind


Book Description

Possible new breakthroughs in understanding the aging mind that can be used to benefit older people are now emerging from research. This volume identifies the key scientific advances and the opportunities they bring. For example, science has learned that among older adults who do not suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, cognitive decline may depend less on loss of brain cells than on changes in the health of neurons and neural networks. Research on the processes that maintain neural health shows promise of revealing new ways to promote cognitive functioning in older people. Research is also showing how cognitive functioning depends on the conjunction of biology and culture. The ways older people adapt to changes in their nervous systems, and perhaps the changes themselves, are shaped by past life experiences, present living situations, changing motives, cultural expectations, and emerging technology, as well as by their physical health status and sensory-motor capabilities. Improved understanding of how physical and contextual factors interact can help explain why some cognitive functions are impaired in aging while others are spared and why cognitive capability is impaired in some older adults and spared in others. On the basis of these exciting findings, the report makes specific recommends that the U.S. government support three major new initiatives as the next steps for research.