André Aleman, The Senior Brain (HEALTHY AGEING Colloquium Series)
| When: | Th 17-01-2013 15:00 - 16:00 |
| Where: | 0161 Munting building, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen |
LECTURER prof. dr. André Aleman (Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Psychology, University of Groningen)
TITLE The Senior Brain
DATE & TIME Thursday, 17 January 2013, 15.00 - 16.00 hrs
LOCATION 0161 Munting building, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen
ABSTRACT Almost anyone aged over fifty will occasionally worry about signs of aging. The horror is not just of failing health. Worst of all is the prospect of a decline in memory and concentration, or in the speed and flexibility of thought, of no longer being able to follow everything properly. Even back in the fourth century BC, Greek philosopher Plato wrote that the diminution of bodily strength with age is accompanied by a reduction in mental capacity. At an advanced age a person is no more capable of learning a great deal than of running at great speed. Was Plato right? Which mental capacities do in fact decline with age? When does deterioration set in? How fast does it go? And which abilities are spared or may even improve? These questions will be briefly addressed in this talk, with reference to recent findings. Changes in brain structure and function during aging will be highlighted and strategies for minimizing decline will be discussed. For more information you may contact dr. Monicque Lorist, m.m.lorist@rug.nl