Final answer:
The aging brain undergoes physical and cognitive changes, such as decreased cell numbers and cognitive impairment diseases like Alzheimer's. However, a healthy lifestyle and brain plasticity contribute to the brain's adaptation in old age, mitigating some cognitive decline.
Step-by-step explanation:
As individuals enter old age, starting in the mid-60s, various changes occur in the brain affecting cognition and physical abilities. The aging brain experiences a decrease in the number of brain cells, a decline in immune efficiency leading to an increased risk of illnesses, and is susceptible to diseases such as Alzheimer's disease that cause cognitive impairments.
Nonetheless, some can maintain health and activity levels into their 80s or 90s, particularly those who lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes exercising the body and brain.
Conditions like Alzheimer's progressively affect areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, language, and higher-level thought, highlighting the importance of brain health management, like engaging in cognitive rehabilitation that can involve virtual reality as a method for mitigating cognitive decline.
Cognitive changes are also notable as synaptic connections that are not frequently used undergo pruning, which can impact speed and accuracy of cognitive tasks. Additionally, psychosocial factors, such as social connectedness and meaningful activities, play a role in healthy aging.
It's important to consider that while the brain undergoes physical and cognitive changes with age, brain plasticity allows for some adaptation.
This means that the brain can still remodel and form new synaptic connections in response to learning and experience, despite the overall decrease in brain cells and increased risk of cognitive disorders.