Introduction
The process of aging affects every organism in a unique way specific to each individual. The brain, as the most complex organ in a human’s body, is especially susceptible to drastic changes from a plethora of factors. The life experience of each person matters in this situation the most, as the brain’s cognitive functions develop alongside it. This essay compares the effects of aging on normal and diseased brains.
Main body
Human brains age at varying speeds and are not bound to lose their elasticity over time. The slow deterioration of cognitive functions is not a genetically programmed process (Nikhra, 2017). A healthy brain begins to lose its stability and the regular rate of functioning due to such factors as accumulated stress, hormonal changes, microvascular insults, changes in calcium metabolism, and demyelination (Nikhra, 2017). Therefore, increased stress (e.g., depression, loneliness, anxiety), hormonal diseases, and various abnormalities in one’s organism can lead to a faster loss of cognitive function (Donovan et al., 2016). These factors suggest that a diseased brain is generally a product of outside negative influences on a normal brain.
It is possible to train one’s brain through continuous mental and physical activities to retain a high level of cognitive abilities with aging. It is worth noting that people with higher education and active lifestyles maintain their mental skills for longer due to higher cognitive reserves (Nikhra, 2017). The stored knowledge helps with social cognition in older adults, as past experiences for them are easier to access than registering new information.
Another example of the effects of aging on human brains is that older people have fewer social interactions. Social status plays a vital role in contributing to a functioning brain, as more extensive social networks allow for long-term social contacts (Donovan et al., 2016).
Conclusion
Therefore, social interactions with older people can provide them with healthier brains for more extended periods. People with diseased brains could find themselves unable to uphold social processes, and their disease will only get worse. In conclusion, appropriate training of one’s brain in the form of physical and mental exercises helps in slowing down the loss of cognitive functions.
References
Donovan, N. J., Okereke, O. I., Vannini, P., Amariglio, R. E., Rentz, D. M., Marshall, G. A., Johnson, K. A., & Sperling, R. A. (2016). Association of higher cortical amyloid burden with loneliness in cognitively normal older adults. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(12), 1230–1237. Web.
Nikhra, V. (2017). The aging brain: recent research and concepts. Gerontology & Geriatric studies, 1(3), 35-45. Web.