NERVOUS SYSTEM CHANGES WITH AGING

The Nervous System

As we age, nerves tend to conduct signals more slowly. This may be so minimal it is barely noticeable. The nervous system's response to injury is also reduced.

Changes In The Brain With Age

With age, the brain loses neuron cells and others cells become damaged. There is a loss of neurons in certain areas that impacts memory function. It adapts by increasing the number of synapse, the connections between cells, and by replenishing the branch-like extensions, dendrites and axons, that carry messages in the brain.

The brain's weight declines with age in specific places. From ages 30 to 70, the blood flow to our brain decreases by 15 to 20 percent.

Atrophy of the grey matter, the outer surface of the brain, is usually moderate; however, a more extensive loss of cells occurs in older people with dementia.

Changes In Spinal Cord With Age

After about age 60, the number of cells in the spinal cord begins to decrease, resulting in a decrease in sensation.

Changes In Nerves With Age

The density of the interconnections seems to reduce with aging, however like th brain, there is a slow continued growth of the very end connections between nerves. This suggests a possible re-patterning of the nervous system.

Some brain proteins, including a number of enzymes, generally declines. Most notable are those that involve glucose breakdown and a key enzyme in carbon dioxide detoxification. Abnormal proteins tend to increase with age.

Aging changes in brain structure and biochemistry do not necessarily affect our thinking and behavior.

Whilst individual changes vary significantly, some aspects of our cognitive ability change with age, the earliest being the ability to retain large amounts of information over a long period of time. Naming tasks and abstraction are altered late in life. Basic language skills and sustained attention are not altered with aging. After about age 30, personality is stable. Sudden changes in personality sometimes suggest disease processes.

Maintain nerve health with nutritional supplements such as Magnesium, B Vitamins, Kava kava, Folate, EPA DHA, Calcium. You will find this assists with sleep problems also.

Alzheimers

Alzheimer's disease involves many kinds of changes in the brain, among them a loss of "cholinergic" neurons. Studies have shown that the Nerve Growth Factor or NGF, can rejuvenate dying cholinergic neurons.

Nutritional Supplements have proven effective in delaying the onset of Alzheimers.

For latest news and information on Alzheimers.

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