Presentaci

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THEME 6 PHYSICAL CHANGES IN ADULTHOOD AND OLD AGE
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ADULTHOOD
OLD AGE
CHILDHOOD
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ADULTHOOD
STEREOTYPES Development ends in
adolescence A period of stability and absence of
changes REALITY Important changes
occur Development continues
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OLD AGE
STEREOTYPES Period of
generalized deterioation Little plasticity and
capacity to learn
REALITY Important individual differences Existanc
e of losses and gains some abilities can improve
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SPANISH POPULATION PYRAMID 1991
Sign of the civli war and postwar
Delayed Baby-boom
Sudden decline in birth rate
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PIRÁMIDE POBLACIONAL ESPAÑOLA 1999
Baby-boom job search lots of unemployment
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PIRÁMIDE POBLACIONAL ESPAÑOLA 2005
Decline in the search for employment
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SPANISH POPULATION PYRAMID 2025
Baby-boom begins to retire
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PHILIPPINE POPULATION PYRAMID
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LIFE EXPECTANCY Number of years calculated that
someone born in a specific year will live Refers
to the lifespan of 50 of the individuals of a
generation Genetic base of the differences in
genders
Year Men Women
1900 34,7 35,7
1950 59,8 64,8
1990 73,4 80,5
Causes of increase Advances in medicine

Decrease in premature deaths in childhood
Better life conditions
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ACTIVE LIFE EXPECTENCY Number of years an
individual can hope to keep being an active
member of society MAXIMUM LIFE LIMIT Maximum
number of a years an individual of a species has
lived Ronda - 115 years (122)
Long-lived
communities exist
Vilacabamba (Andes),
Abkasianos (Georgia), Hunzunuts (Cachemira)
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PHYSICAL CHANGES IN ADULTHOOD AND OLD AGE

• Changes in the proportion of fat tissue and
  muscular mass
• Ageing of the skin
• Decrease in reaction speed
• Loss of visual and auditory acuteness
• Cardiovascular changes
• Diseases related to age

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PRIMARY AGEING Normal and intrinsic process of
genetically programed biological ageing that
occurs regardless of good health

• THEORIES ABOUT AGEING
• Limited division and regeneration of cells
• Decrease in the ability to confront errors in
  DNA
• Influence of free radicals
• Weakening of the immune and endocrine systems

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SECONDARY AGEING Pathological decline related
to age that is caused by extrinsic or external
factors such as diseases, environmental
influences, or life style

• Diet, consumption of alcohol and tobacco, sun,
  physical exercise, etc.
• Type A behavior and cardiovascular system
• Stress and immune system.

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CHANGES IN VISION I

• Reduction of the pupil and increase in pupillary
  reflex latency
• Obscuration of vitreous humor
• Loss of flexibility and yellowing of lens
• Loss of visual acuteness Reduction of field of
  vision (140º)
• Greater sensibility to bright light (glare)
• Worse perception of depth

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CHANGES IN VISION II

• Difficulty in distinguishing cold colors
• Worse sensitivity in contrasting chiaroscuro
• Difficulty in the perception of ambiguous
  stimulus

COMMON DISEASES Cataracts, glaucoma and senile
macular degeneration
MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED BY DESIGNING
ADECUATE SPACES FOR OLDER PEOPLE
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CHANGES IN HEARING

• Difficulty in perceiving high-pitched noises
  (presbycusis)
• Buzzing
• Difficulty in localizing sounds
• Worse auditory discrimination
• Increase in the amount of sound necessary in
  order to identify speech

IMPORTANT SOCIAL REPERCUSSION SOME ENVIRONMENTAL
MODIFICATIONS CAN OVERCOME THESE PROBLEMS
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CHANGES IN OTHER SENSES

• Decrease in sense of smell and taste loss of
  appetite, difficulty in recognizing a poor diet,
  no recognition of bad body odor or gas
• Worse sensitivity of pain
• Worse sensitivity of temperature

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MOTOR CAPACITY

• Increase in reaction time
• Progressive loss of balance and worse motor
  coordination
• Deterioration of the joints
• Increased tendency for accidents
• Importance of physical activity

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AGEING AND SEXUALITY Feminine
Sexuality Menopause

• Twelve months without menstruation
• Occurs around 50 years of age
• It is not a generalized crisis (individual and
  cultural differences)
• Psychosomatic disorders (hot flashes, depressive
  symptoms, etc.)
• Effects of hormone scarcity
• Influences over sexual desire and activity

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AGEING AND MASCULINE SEXUALITY

• Changes are more gradual
• Decrease in testosterone
• Slower sexual response
• Decrease in volume of sperm
• Longer refractory period

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AGEING OF BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM

• Its difficult to separate the effects of
  ageing and those of disease
• Reduction of cerebral mass
• Death of neurons and loss of neuronal connections
• Decrease in the concentration of
  neurotransmitters
• Plasticity and possibility of new connections
• Increase in slow-type cerebral waves (changes in
  the patterns of sleep-wakefulness)