Each theory has helped contribute to our knowledge base of the human mind and behavior. Each attempts to explain how one ages successfully. This video gives a good introduction to the theories of aging. Physiological system theories attributes aging to the gradual failure of certain physiological systems and to the resulting inability of these systems to coordinate important bodily functions in order for the body to function properly, both cellular functions and organ systems have to be carefully integrated and coordinated. Maintaining physiological function or health in an aging population will help to reduce the burden on the existing medical systems as older individuals consume medical services. Ageing is characterized by a progressive and heterogeneous decline in physiological reserve of all organ. Assistant professor of medicine division of geriatric medicine fellow, institute on aging. The programmed theories imply that aging follows a biological timetable, perhaps a continuation of the one that regulates childhood growth and development. Physiological changes occur with aging in all organ systems. Agerelated physiological changes and their clinical. Physiological theories suggest that responses within the body are responsible for emotions. Dec 02, 2015 what must be included in any definition of successful aging is the quality of a persons life not just physical health, but also ones state of mind. Biological theories of aging physiological changes with age.
To distinguish between the expected agerelated alterations of the gut and symptoms attributable to pathologic conditions, the clinician must have an understanding of the normal physiology of aging. Modern nonprogrammed aging theories contend that we age because our bodies do not provide a better defense against natural deteriorative processes such as mechanical wear, oxidation, and other damage. With a few notable exceptions, the digestive system maintains normal functioning in elderly people. Physiologists are in the ideal position to develop and test hypotheses of how genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of aging affect human physiology. To most, aging implies physiological and psychosocial. Identify the purpose and use of current theories of aging. Chapter 5 theories of aging and physical changes kathleen f. We have seen that social aging and views of the aging process both differ crossculturally and over time. Modern biological theories of aging pubmed central pmc. Jett the lived experience strange how these things creep up on you. Modern aging theories modern evolutionary aging theories followed by most medical researchers fall into two categories. More specifically, if the evolution process has caused organisms to evolve myriad other ways to survive longer and reproduce more, why does aging still exist. Some important problems are identified with each of the theories when the criteria of intersubjectivity of meaning, testability, and empirical adequacy are utilized in the evaluation process. There are three main psychosocial theories of aging, which is defined as a focus on social and psychological aspects leading to successful aging.
Oftentimes the discussion of psychosocial theories of aging does not include the oldestold. Some theories such as classical conditioning are still wellaccepted today. Proponents of disengagement theory hold that mutual social withdrawal benefits both individuals and society. A few decades ago, social gerontologists began to explain how and why the aging process in the united states and other societies occurs. The most widely accepted overall theory of aging is the evolutionary. What was considered to be the physiology of aging is now being reevaluated as that of disuse, with a very subtle distinction between the two.
Describe the process of aging using a biological and a psychosocial perspective. Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to. Overall, while multiple theories of aging have been proposed, currently there is no consensus on this issue. Nonstochastic theories of aging reactive oxygen species senescence stochastic theories of aging elomerase elomere competency 1, 19 learning objectives at the end of this chapter, the reader will be able to. Two major theories explain the psychosocial aspects of aging in older adults. Smith, institute for social research, university of michigan, institute for social research, ann arbor, michigan contemporary theories of aging highlight psychosocial resources and psychological processes as important modifiers of associations among earlylife contexts, socioeconomic factors, and health outcomes in later life. Understanding it is of major interest to scientist, physicians. Genetic basis of aging theories hi h ti f i lifhigh conservation of maximum life span between species similarity of attained age between monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins or nontwin siblings. By understanding and testing the existing and new aging theories, it may be possible to promote successful aging as well as to enhance the lifespan of mankind. Examining supportive evidence for psychosocial theories of. Chapter 8 social theories of aging university of idaho. Physiological theories programmed ageing vs stochastic ageing programmed theories maintain that ageing occurs due to intrinsic timing mechanisms and signals e.
Theories of aging can be divided into two categories. The increase of human lifespans in the west and the aging american population has brought increased attention to what factors contribute to aging well. Geropsychology is a field within psychology devoted to the study of aging and the provision of clinical services for older adults. Many of the proposed theories interact with each other in a complex way. He has a phd from the university of chicago and is past president of the gerontological society of. This regulation would depend on changes in gene expression that affect the systems responsible for maintenance, repair and defense responses. As the lead editor on the two prior editions of the handbook of theories of aging, and coeditor of the book that preceded them, emergent theories of aging, dr. Agerelated physiological changes and their clinical significance. Theories formulated to explain aging processes have been grouped into several categories, some of the most widely used being the programmed and. Unlike the earlier programmed theory of evolution and aging, which tried to findreasonswhyevolutionmight favor aging, evolutionary senescence theory focuses on the failure.
Aug 01, 2010 overall, while multiple theories of aging have been proposed, currently there is no consensus on this issue. Understanding agerelated diseases requires understanding aging. Ver bengtson, phd, is research professor of gerontology and professor emeritus of sociology at the university of southern california. Discuss the biological theories of aging, including genetic and nongenetic theories. Recall that social aging refers to changes in peoples roles and relationships in a society as they age.
Physiological features of aging persons geriatrics jama. A brief discussion on the prospects of developing therapies that delay the process of ageing and an. Thus theories of aging may overlap at various levels of organization. Ageing is characterized by a progressive and heterogeneous decline in physiological reserve of all. Aging is associated with changes in dynamic biological, physiological, environmental, psychological. In addition to a higher incidence and prevalence of disease, elderly persons experience baseline physiological changes associated with senescence. However, because aging is characterized by the declining ability to respond to stress and by increasing homeostatic imbalance and incidence of pathology, death remains the ultimate consequence of aging. Understanding what is aging is very important for the understanding whether aging is a disease or not. Involvement of kif4a in spindle formation and chromosome segregation in mouse oocytes j.
The choice of these categories and the order in which they are presented re. The major theories of motivation can be grouped into three main categories. Disengagement theory views aging as a process of mutual withdrawal in which older adults voluntarily slow down by retiring, as expected by society. Therefore, a persons lifestyle will very much contribute to a successful aging process.
Nrsg 337 theories of adult aging physiological aging. The lungs show impaired gas exchange, a decrease in vital capacity and slower expiratory flow rates. An older persons selfconcept is validated through participation in roles characteristic of. Symptoms of aging include many different agerelated diseases and conditions that display incidence that drastically increases with age.
The cardiac output decreases, blood pressure increases and arteriosclerosis develops. There are three theories of aging to be discussed here. Telomere length and replicative aging in human vascular tissues. Physiological basis of aging and geriatrics 3rd ed. Only a few broad, overarching theories attempt to explain why we and nearly all living organisms age. Theories of human aging of molecules to society volume 2 issue 2 2015. The internally determined time a typical member of a species would live in the absence of any external limitations like predators, infectious diseases, environmental conditions, or food supply. Nov 18, 2016 britains ageing population is growing at its fastest rate to date, making it increasingly important for clinicians to understand the physiological changes associated with ageing and recognize the difference between changes secondary to ageing and changes that occur as a result of disease. Neurological theories propose that activity within the brain leads to emotional responses. These two categories of theory are also referred to as nonprogrammed aging theories based on evolutionary concepts where ageing is considered the result of an organisms inability to better combat natural deteriorative processes, and programmed ageing theories which consider ageing to ultimately be the result of a biological mechanism or programme that purposely causes or allows deterioration and death in order to obtain a direct evolutionary benefit achieved by limiting lifespan. Macronutrients and micronutrients obtained from food intake support biological and physiological activities required for optimal health. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Chapter objectives key terms genetic aging, nongenetic aging, successful aging, developmental stages 1.
Physiological system theories attributes aging to the gradual failure of certain physiological systems and to the resulting inability of these systems to coordinate important bodily functions in order for the body to function properly, both cellular functions and organ. Physiological changes associated with aging and immobility journal of aging research, vol. This chapter aims to describe the major observations, theories and hypotheses of biogerontology, the. Bengtson has led the charge to transform gerontology into a field that is rich in both data and theories. On the other hand, other theories support the idea that aging is a regulated process, mainly by the genetic code, such as the telomere length, the number of divisions that a somatic cell can go. Physiology of aging an overview sciencedirect topics. The free radical theory of ageing one of the most prominent theories to explain ageing is the free radical theory of ageing which was initially proposed by.
Mar 17, 2009 physiological theories programmed ageing vs stochastic ageing programmed theories maintain that ageing occurs due to intrinsic timing mechanisms and signals e. Stochastic theories nongenetic theory these theories states that aging is caused by an accumulation of insults from the environment results of these insults is that the organisms eventually reaches a level incompatible with life 10. Physiological features of aging persons geriatrics. As researchers, geropsychologists expand knowledge of the normal aging process and design and test psychological interventions. Extensively revised and updated to reflect the current state of knowledge in the study of aging, this fourth edition offers a complete profile of the aging process at all levels, from molecules and cells to demography and evolution. They not only serve as models for studying the processes of normal aging but also provide valuable insight. Theories of biological aging need to explain how aging relates to the evolution process. I really was surprised and upset when i first realized it was not the headlights on my car that were dim but only my aging night vision. Recently, a significant amount of basic science research has focused on the effects of aging on muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Physiological basis of aging and geriatrics pdf medical.
Britains ageing population is growing at its fastest rate to date, making it increasingly important for clinicians to understand the physiological changes associated with ageing and recognize the difference between changes secondary to ageing and changes that occur as a result of disease. Others, like freuds theories, have not held up so well and have been mostly replaced. Sociological perspectives on aging social sci libretexts. These theories compete with each other, making it unlikely that more.
A brief discussion on the prospects of developing therapies that delay the process of. Physical, psychological and social factors that contribute to aging well. Analyze the rationale for using multiple theories of aging to describe the complex phenomenon of aging. The past decade has witnessed studies demonstrating a link between malnutrition and accelerated aging or agerelated disorders. Aging overview biological aging senescence refers to gradual internally caused deterioration and death seen in multiparous organisms such as mammals. Active older people are more satisfied and better adjusted than those who are not active, and 2. Nrsg 337 theories of adult aging physiological aging study guide by taylorms121 includes 46 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. The purpose of this study was to assess evidence of psychosocial theories of aging within oral history narratives from a subsample of 20 centenarians from the oklahoma 100 year life oral history project. Three major psychosocial theories of agingactivity theory, disengagement theory, and continuity theoryare summarized and evaluated.
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