Page 160 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

144 • Chapter 5

It is possible that a 70-year-old person may take an aver-
age of up to one-fourth second longer to recognize an object
in a picture than he did at the age of 30. Some researchers ar-
gue that this is a sign of cognitive decline. Many researchers,
however, believe that this longer search and retrieval time
might be due to the fact that the older we get, the more in-
formation we have stored, so it takes longer to search for the
particular piece of information we need. After all, if you
only have a few pieces of information in your “library” it
doesn’t take long to search through them all, but if you have
thousands of facts and memories at you fingertips, it may
indeed take you longer to find the relevant information. Is-
n’t it uplifting to be thought of as a well-stocked library?
Adults also may be slower due to a lack of aerobic exer-
cise. Aerobic exercises have been shown to improve indi-
vidual reaction times. Because exercise increases blood flow
to the brain, this suggests that longer reaction times may be
caused by brain malnutrition. Physically active older people
can have shorter reaction times than less-fit younger adults.
So, with a little work and exercise, we have the potential to
be better than we ever were!
Motivation may be important to reaction time and accu-
racy. Many older adults are just not interested in studies on
speed. In one study, researchers shortened young and older
adult reaction times and decreased the age difference in re-
action time by making payment for participation partially
8
contingent on speed of response. In other words, make it
relevant (or profitable), and older adults try harder and
achieve more. Monetary reward is definitely a good incen-
tive for trying harder.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF AGING

There are those of us who relish getting older. The richness of
life after 40 is wonderful, and over 50 is unbeatable. There are
so many advantages to age—general knowledge, wisdom, self-
knowledge, accomplishments, friends—that they are not read-
ily countable. However, we live in a youth-centered culture