What it is: This refers to how quickly the brain can process information and then provide a response, such as making a movement or providing an answer.
Here are six key ways that cognition changes with aging. People often think of memory when they think of cognition or “brain function.” But there’s actually much more to thinking and the brain’s work. 6 Ways that Memory and Thinking Change With Aging So whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions cause neurons to become badly damaged and eventually die, in a normal older person with cognitive aging, the brain’s neurons are basically ok, they’re just working less quickly and less well than earlier in life.Īlthough cognitive aging does cause certain mental processes to happen less quickly, normal cognitive aging should not impair an older person’s abilities to the point that they are visibly struggling with life tasks or no longer able to live independently. Very importantly: cognitive aging doesn’t involve neurodegeneration or significant damage to the brain’s neurons. And like many other age-associated changes in the body, cognitive aging tends to happen a little differently for every person, in part due to things like genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors.īut it’s not a disease. People sometimes have trouble understanding how cognitive aging is different from something more concerning, such as mild cognitive impairment, early Alzheimer’s disease, or other memory-related conditions they may have heard about.Ī good explanation of the difference is available here, in the Cognitive Aging Action Guide published by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine), which issued a fantastic report on cognitive aging in 2015.īasically, cognitive aging is the brain’s version of your body parts working less efficiently due to age, rather than due to disease or serious damage. How does cognitive aging differ from a disease or more concerning changes in mental function? Cognitive aging also helps older adults become more optimistic and emotionally resilient, as I explain later in the article.īy better understanding cognitive aging, you’ll be better equipped to understand the older adults in your life, whether that is yourself or an older loved one. Yes, things tend to work a little slower and less well, but on the other hand older adults can often compensate by drawing on their experience. Which means they might feel reluctant to learn more about this.īut the news is not all bad. This can be discouraging news to many people. Just as your 75-year-old self can’t run as fast as your 30-year old self, your 75-year-old brain will, for the most part, not think as quickly either. As you’ll see, most mental processes become less nimble with time. Practical takeaways and what you can do.
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