Effect of Aging

on
Learning
 What is the biggest prejudice
in the world??

Racism
AGEISM Classism
Xenophobia Sexism Nationalism

Religious discrimination
 What is Ageism?
 It is stereotyping and discrimination against individuals or groups on the
basis of their age.
What exactly happens to our brain
while aging?
 Degeneration of Myelin Sheath
 With age some myelin sheaths exhibit degenerative changes, such as the formation of splits
containing electron dense cytoplasm and the formation of myelin balloons.
 This results in slow processing and reduces cognitive function.

Myelinated neuron Myelin Balloon

 Neurotransmitter systems
 Researchers suggest that the brain generates less chemical messengers with aging, and it is
this decrease in dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, and norepinephrine activity that may
play a role in declining cognition and memory and increased depression.
 Moreover, there could be degeneration of receptors which results in declined cognition.

Chemical synapse
 Brain Shrinkage

 Shrinkage in the frontal lobe and

hippocampus - areas involved in
higher cognitive function and
encoding new memories - starting
around the age of 60 or 70 years.
 A known cause is the over-secretion
of cortisol by stress.
 Fewer connections may contribute to
slower cognitive processing.
 Intelligence

Intelligence is of two types. They are:

 Fluid intelligence
 Crystallized intelligence

It is found that fluid intelligence reduces as

we age while crystallized intelligence
increases as we age.
 Memory
As age increases:
 Working memory and long-term
memory declines. This affects learning
because it can make tasks, such as,
problem-solving and decision-making
more difficult.
 Semantic memory improves.
 Procedural memory and Emotional
memory remain unaffected.
 The speed of processing reduces. Hence,
they might need longer teaching time.
Attention
Sustained Attention

As age increases,
 Sustained Attention: no age-related
differences.
 Divided Attention: declines,
especially when the task is more Divided Attention
complex.
 Selective Attention: declines.

As divided and selective attention

declines, Multi-tasking becomes
difficult.
Selective Attention
Neural Reorganization
As we grow
older, we
tend to use
both the
hemispheres
to perform
tasks much
better, in
spite of the
challenges of
aging.
 Dendritic Connections
 The branching of dendrites
increases, and connections between
distant brain areas strengthen.
 This helps in detecting relationships
between diverse sources of
information, capturing the big
picture, and understanding the
global implications of specific issues.
 Maybe, this is the concept of
wisdom.
 Super Agers
 They are adults over 80 with a memory at
least as good as normal middle-aged
adults.
 Some reasons are:
Genetics
Thick cortex layers
Healthy lifestyles
Active brain
 Intense research is going on to understand
the concept of super aging.
Tips for keeping your brain young:
 Get mental stimulation
 Get physical exercise
 Improve your diet
 Avoid tobacco and alcohol
 Care for your emotions
 Protect your head
 Build social networks