Brain circuitry in ageing and neurodegenerative disease

As we age, our bodies undergo widespread and significant changes. Our hair greys and becomes thinner, our skin wrinkles, our eyesight and hearing become worse. Many people experience changes in their thinking as they get older, finding it more difficult to remember events and solve complex problems. It is not all doom and gloom for older people, however: older people have accumulated knowledge to help them solve many problems that may strike younger people as novel and complex (Salthouse, 2012); and many older people report a positive quality of life (Farquhar, 1995). Being retired, volunteer work, and social relationships with children, family and friends all have a positive impact on the older person’s life (Netuveli, Wiggins, Hildon, Montgomery & Blane, 2006).