Introduction to Ageing and Cognitive Abilities

What are Cognitive Skills and Abilities? By: Dr. Pascale Michelon What is cog­ni­tion? Cog­ni­tion has to do with how a per­son under­stands the world and acts in it. Age-Related Memory Loss: What's Normal, What's Not, and When to Seek Help Worried about your forgetfulness? Learn what’s normal when it comes to memory and aging, and how to recognize the signs of more serious problems. Memory and aging We’ve all misplaced keys, blanked on someone’s name, or forgotten a phone number. When you’re young, you don’t tend to pay much attention to these lapses, but as you grow older, you may worry about what they mean. Perhaps you start to talk about a movie you saw recently when you realize you can’t remember the title. The impact of leisure activities on older adults’ cognitive function, physical function, and mental health Abstract Engagement in leisure activities has been claimed to be highly beneficial in the elderly. Practicing such activities is supposed to help older adults to preserve cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, and thus to contribute to successful aging. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the impact of leisure activities on these constructs in a large sample of Japanese older adults (N = 809; age range 72–74). The model exhibited an excellent fit (CFI = 1); engaging in leisure activities was positively associated with all the three successful aging indicators. These findings corroborate previous research carried out in Western countries and extend its validity to the population of Eastern older adults.

What happens to the brain as we age? Brain aging is inevitable to some extent, but not uniform; it affects everyone, or every brain, differently. Slowing down brain aging or stopping it altogether would be the ultimate elixir to achieve eternal youth. Is brain aging a slippery slope that we need to accept? Or are there steps we can take to reduce the rate of decline? At around 3 pounds in weight, the human brain is a staggering feat of engineering with around 100 billion neurons interconnected via trillions of synapses.

Physical Activity for Older Adults Significant health benefits are seen in adults aged 65 years and older who participate in regular physical activity. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines recommend older adults to incorporate aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity, and balance training for older adults at risk for falls. Try to avoid inactivity because some health benefits can occur with any amount of physical activity gain. What is Normal Cognitive Aging? iStock.com/PeopleImages Everyone experiences a “senior moment” as they get older. Episodes of misplacing keys or forgetting an acquaintance’s last name doesn’t necessarily signal a brain disease. We asked Denise Park, director of research at the Center for Vital Longevity and chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas, what happens to the brain and cognition as we simply get older and what we can do to mitigate the effects of it. How does the brain change as it ages? The brain shrinks, or loses volume, with age, primarily in the frontoparietal and hippocampal regions.

Free Memory Loss Tests - MemoryHealthCheck Test your memory health and function with these free online screening tests: Short term memory is the ability to form and retain very recent memories, such as what you had for breakfast this morning, and recalling details from a news article that you read 10 minutes ago. Try out these short term memory tests: When people become concerned about “short term memory loss”, they are typically referring to real or perceived impairments in the ability to form new episodic and semantic memories. Working memory is the capacity to hold small amounts of information in an active, easily accessible state. Cognitive Functioning Differences Between Physically Active and Sedentary Older Adults - IOS Press Abstract Older adults engaging in regular physical activity can help create a buffer toward cognitive decline. The main aim of this study was to assess the effects of physical activity and cognitive functioning on a sample of young-old and old-old physically active adults and young-old and old-old sedentary adults.

United Nations The world’s population is ageing: virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons in their population. Population ageing is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century, with implications for nearly all sectors of society, including labour and financial markets, the demand for goods and services, such as housing, transportation and social protection, as well as family structures and intergenerational ties. Older persons are increasingly seen as contributors to development, whose abilities to act for the betterment of themselves and their societies should be woven into policies and programmes at all levels. In the coming decades, many countries are likely to face fiscal and political pressures in relation to public systems of health care, pensions and social protections for a growing older population.

Staying Safe During Exercise & Physical Activity for older adults Almost anyone, at any age, can exercise safely and get meaningful benefits. You can be active even if you have a chronic condition, like heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis. Staying safe while you exercise is always important, whether you’re just starting a new activity or haven’t been active for a long time. To play it safe and reduce your risk of injury: Begin your exercise program slowly with low-intensity exercises.Wear appropriate shoes for your activity.Warm up before exercising, and cool down afterward.Pay attention to your surroundings when exercising outdoors.Drink water before, during, and after your workout session, even if you don’t feel thirsty.Dress appropriately for the temperature outdoors, or opt for an indoor activity if it’s very hot or cold.If you have specific health conditions, discuss your exercise and physical activity plan with your health care provider. Endurance.