NEUROENDOCRINE ANDNEUROCHEMICAL THEORIES

• Aging occurs because of functional decline in the neurons and associated

hormones. it believes that neural and endocrine changes may trigger many
cellular and physiologic aspects of aging
• Organism lose responsiveness of neuroendocrine to various signals
• Main focus of study: functional changes of the hypothalamic: pituitary system.the
changes are accompanied by a decline in functional capacity in other endocrine
organs, such as the adrenal and thyroid glands, ovaries and testes
OTHER NEUROENDOCRINE AND NEUROCHEMICAL THEORIES CLAIMS
• Aging is the result in the changes of the brain and endocrine glands
• Specific anterior pituitary hormones promote aging
• An imbalance of chemicals in the brain impairs healthy cell division

RADIATION THEORIES
• Repeated exposures to ultraviolet light is known to cause solar elastosis, the "old
age" type of skin wrinkling that resulta from the replacement of collagen by
elastin
• *Elastosis refers to degenerative changes in the dermal tissue with increased
deposition of elastin material
• UV light is also a factor in the development of skin cancer
• Radiation may induce cellular mutations that promote aging

NUTRITION THEORIES
• The quality of diet is as impt as the quantity.
• Deficiencies of vitamins and other nutrients and excesses of nutrients such as
cholesterol may cause various disease processes
• Increased attention is given to the influence of nutritional supplements on the
aging process; vit e, bee pollen, ginseng, gotu kola, peppermint and kelp are
among nutrients believed to promote a healthy and long life ( margolis, 2000;
smeeding, 2001)
• A good diet may eliminate some of the effects of the aging process
ENVIRONMENTAL THEORIES
• Ingestion of mercury, lead, arsenic, radioactive isotopes, certain pesticides and
other substances can produce pathologic changes in human beings
• Smoking, breathing tobacco smoke and other air pollutants also have adverse
efects
• Crowded living conditions, high noise levels and other factors are thought to
influence how people age

SOCIOLOGIC THEORIES OF AGING

DISENGAGEMENT THEORY
• Views that aging as a process in which society and the individual gradually
withdraw, or disengage from each other, to the mutual satisfaction and benefit of
both
• The benefits to individuals that they can reflect and be centered on themselves
have been freed from social roles
• Value of disengagement: transfer of power fro old to the young
• However it has been observed that many older persons desire to remain
engaged and do not want their primary satisfaction to be derived from reflection
on younger years

ACTIVITY THEORY
• Asserts that an older person should continue middle-aged lifestyle, denying the
existence of old age as long as possible and that society should apply the same
norms to old age with other roles when retirement occurs and establishing new
friendships as old ones are lost
• This theory suggests substituting intellectual activities for physical activities when
physical capacity is reduces
 • Declining health, loss of roles, reduced income, shrinking circle of friends and
other obstacles to maintaining an active life are to be resisted and overcome
instead of being accepted.

CONTINUITY THEORY
• Also referred to as the developmental theory,
• Assumes that persons will remain the same unless there are factors that
stimulate change or necessitate adaptation
• Accounts for the continuous flow of phases in the life cycle and does not limit
itself to change
• Personality and basic patterns of behavior are said to remain unchanged as the
individual ages

AGE STRATIFICATION THEORY

• Suggests that society is stratified by age groups (riley, johnson and foner 1972)
• Persons within similar age groups generally have similar experiences, beliefs,
attitudes and life transitions that offer them a unique shared history

SUBCULTURE THEORY
• Views that older adults as a group with distinct norms, beliefs, expectations,
habits and issues that's eparate them from the rest of society ( rose, 1965)
• Their formation of subculture is a response to the negative attitudes and
treatment of society
• Older persons are accepted by and more comfortable among their own age
groups