Theories of AGING

• No one definition or theory

• __________explains all aspects of aging; rather, scientists have found that several theories may be combined to explain various aspects of the complex phenomenon we call aging.

Biological

Sociologic

Physiologic

Moral

Four Major Theories

Biologic

Influenced by both biology and sociology; address how a person responds to the tasks of his or her age.

Biologic

Concerned with answering basic questions regarding physiologic processes that occur in all living organisms over time.

Sociologic

Examine how an individual seeks to explain and validate his or her existence.

Sociologic

Focused on the roles and relationships within which individuals engage in later life.

Psychologic

Focused on the roles and relationships within which individuals engage in later life.

Psychologic

(2) Influenced by both biology and sociology; address how a person responds to the tasks of his or her age.

Moral

Concerned with answering basic questions regarding physiologic processes that occur in all living organisms over time.

Moral

(2) Examine how an individual seeks to explain and validate his or her existence.

• factors that trigger the actual aging process

Biologic theories

• The primary question being addressed relates to the_______________ in organisms.

Biologic

• These theories generally view aging as occurring at molecular, cellular, and even systemic levels.

• physiologic process

• factors that trigger the actual aging process

• molecular, cellular, and even systemic levels.

Biologic theories

• Concerned with answering basic questions regarding the _________ that occur in all living organisms as they age chronologically.

• The primary question being addressed relates to the _________- in organisms.

• These theories generally view aging as occurring at _____,____,_____

Stochastic

• Error theory

• Free Radical theory

• Cross-Linkage theory

• Wear and tear theory

Non-stochastic

• Programmed theory

• Immunity theory

• Neuroendocrine theory

• Metabolic theory

• DNA related research

Types of Biologic Theories

Statistical perspective

Stochastic is also reffered to as>

Stochastic

identifies episodic events that happen throughout one’s life that cause random cell damage and accumulate over time, thus causing aging.

Nonstochastic

Aging as a series of predetermined events happening to all organisms in a timed framework.

• Error / orgel / error catastrophe theory

• Free Radical theory

• Cross-Linkage theory

• Wear and tear theory

Enumerate the Stochastic theories

Error catastrophe theory

Error / orgel theory is also known as?

Error / orgel theory

• This  theory’s  hypothesis  is  based  on  the  idea  that  errors  may  occur  in  the transcription in any step of the protein synthesis of DNA, and this eventually leads to either the aging or the actual death of a cell.

Error / orgel theory

• Environmental  agents  and  randomly  induced  events  can  cause  error,  with ultimate cellular changes.

Error / orgel theory

• mutations and regulatory disorders.

________

• This theory proposes that aging would not occur if destructive factors such as radiation did not exist and cause “errors” such as ____-and_____

Error / orgel theory

• errant proteins

• old

• Research does not support this theory, and explains that all aged cells do not have ______, nor are all cells found with errant proteins___

Oxidative free radical theory

• oxidative metabolism.

• _________-

• postulates that aging is due to oxidative metabolism and the effects of free radicals, which are the end products of ________

Free Radicals

• able to enter reactions with other molecules

• _________ are chemical species that arise from atoms as single unpaired electrons. Because a free radical molecule is unpaired it is______________, especially along membranes and with nucleic acids, causing cellular damage.

• free radicals, mutations, and malignancies.

In  some  instances,  free  radicals  reacting  with  other molecules can form more ________, and ________

• the only aging theory to have stood the  test  of  time

• cellular debris rich in lipids

• lipofuscin

• According to Grune and Davies (2001), the free radical theory of aging is “_______________”.  They  further  describe  how  free radicals can generate ________ and proteins called _______ which older adults have more of when compared to younger adults.

Free Radical theory

• the only aging theory to have stood the  test  of  time

Lipofuscin

fine yellow-brown pigment made of oxidized proteins and fats that builds up inside cells as an indigestible byproduct of aging

Uv light

Air pollution

Ionizing radiation

Smoking

Metabolism

Inflammation

Formation of Free radicals (causes)

1. Tobacco smoke

2. Pesticides

3. Organic solvents

4. Radiation

5. Ozone

6. Diet

7. Selected medications

Exogenous Sources of Free Radicals:

Connective Tissue Theory.

Cross-linkage theory is also referred toa s?

Cross-linkage theory

• obstructing  the  passage  of  nutrients  and  wastes

• This  theory  of  aging  hypothesizes  that  with  age,  some  proteins  become  increasingly  cross-linked  or enmeshed  and  may  impede  metabolic  processes  by ______________ between the intracellular and extracellular compartments.

Cross-linkage theory

• Fibroblasts

• chemical  cross-link

• decrease  in  the structure’s function

• ___________

• This primarily involves collagen which are produced by _______. As new fibers are created, they become enmeshed  with  old  fibers  and  form  an  actual __________.  This  results  in  a _____________.

Cross-linkage theory

• An example of this would be the changes associated with aging skin. The skin of a baby is soft and pliable, whereas aging skin loses much of its suppleness and elasticity.

• unsaturated fats;

• polyvalent metal ions such as aluminum, zinc, and magnesium;

• excessive radiation exposure.

Cross-linkage agents

have been found in

• defense mechanism  cannot  remove  the  cross-linking  agent 

• Cross-linkage theory proposes that as a person ages and the immune  system  becomes  less  efficient,  the  body’s  ______________before  it becomes securely established.

Cross-linkage theory

• Primary cause of arteriosclerosis, decrease in the efficiency of the  immune  system,  and  the  loss  of  elasticity  often  seen  in older adult skin.

arteriosclerosis

decrease in the efficiency of the immune system,

loss of elasticity

Cross likage theory is the Primary cause of _______,_______,______often seen in older adult skin.

Wear and tear theory

This  theory  proposed  that  cells  wear  out  over  time  because  of continued use.

Wear and tear theory

According to this theory, aging is almost a preprogrammed process

Pre-programmed process (wear and tear theory)

 a process thought to be vulnerable to stress or to an accumulation of injuries or trauma, which may actually accelerate it.

Death

• stated Weisman, “occurs because a worn out tissue cannot forever renew itself ”.

Wear and tear theory

• heart muscle, neurons, striated muscle,  and  the  brain 

__________

An example includes the cell’s inability to repair damaged DNA, as in the aging cell.

It is known that cells in ______________ cannot  replace  themselves  after  they  are destroyed by wear and tear.

 “Hayflick  Limit  Theory,” 

“Biologic  Clock  Theory,” 

“Cellular  Aging  Theory,” 

“Genetic Theory.”

Other names for Programmed theory

Programmed theroy

As people age, more of their cells start to decide to commit suicide or stop dividing.

Hayflick phenomenon, or human fibroblast replicative senescence model,

The _______or_____________ suggests that cells divide until they can no longer divide, whereupon the cell’s infrastructure recognizes this inability to further divide and triggers the apoptosis sequence or death of the cell.

Programmed theory

• Every  person  has  a  “biologic  clock”   that  starts  ticking  at  the  time  of  conception,  wherein  each individual has a genetic program specifying an unknown but predetermined number of cell divisions.

Programmed theory

• atrophy of the thymus, menopause, skin changes, and graying of hair.

______-

As the program plays out, the person experiences predictable changes such as _____,______,______,________,

Immunity theory

• Immunosenescence

In this theory, as a person ages, the immune system functions less effectively (____________)

• T lymphocytes, | B lymphocytes

• increased incidence of infectious diseases and an increase in the production of autoantibodies,

• autoimmune related diseases.

Immunity theory

Typically,  the  changes  that  occur  with  aging  are  most  apparent  in  ___________ although changes also occur in the functioning capabilities of ________

•  Accompanying these changes is a decrease in the body’s defense against foreign pathogens, and this manifests itself as an__________ and _____________ which lead to a propensity to develop ____________

Immunity Theory

• The  immune  system  weakens  over  time,  making  an  aging  person  more susceptible to infections, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and cancers.

Pacemaker theory

Neuroendocrine control is also known as

Neuroendocrine control theory

• This theory examines the interrelated role of the neurologic and endocrine systems over the life span of an individual.

Neuroendocrine theory

• releasing  hormones  of  the  hypothalamus

• stimulating hormones  of  the  pituitary  gland

• thyroid, parathyroid,  and  adrenal  glands, 

• Describes  a  change  in  hormone  secretion,  such  as  with  the ___________  and  the ________,  which  manage  the  ____,______,______ and  how  they  influence  the aging process.

• neuroendocrine system

• There  is  a  decline,  or  even  a  cessation,  in  many  of  the components of the __________ over the life span.

Estrogen

Growth Hormone

melatonin

The following major hormones are involved with aging:

• thinning of bones

• adipose tissue

• Estrogen decreases ________, and when women age, less estrogen is produced by the ovaries. As women grow older and experience menopause, _______ becomes the major source of estrogen.

• increases bone and muscle strength.

• insulin-like growth factors

• liver.

• Growth hormone is part of the process that_________ Growth hormone stimulates the release of ________ produced by the _____

• pineal gland

• seasonal adaptations

• Melatonin is produced by the ______ and is thought to be responsible for coordinating ________ in the body.

endocrine glands,

 When the stimulating and releasing hormones of the pituitary and the hypothalamus are out of synch with the ______ an increase in disease is expected in multiple organs and systems.

Caloric Restriction theory

Metabolic theory is also knwon as

Metabolic Theory

This  theory  proposes  that  all  organisms  have  a  finite  metabolic lifetime  and  that  organisms  with  a  higher  metabolic  rate  have  a shorter life span.

Caloric restriction

_________ can protect against aging in cellular pathways. If you  want  to  reduce  levels  of  inflammation  throughout  your  body, delay the onset of age-related diseases, and live longer, eat less food.

Metabolic theory

Evidence for this theory comes from research showing that certain fish, when the water temperature is lowered, live longer than their warm-water counterparts.

Sociologic Theories

Focus on changing roles, relationships, status, and generational cohort.

roles, relationships, status, and generational cohort.

Sociologic Theories

Focus on changing_______,______,_____,_______

Sociologic Theories

• societal values

• These theories relate to various social adaptations in the lives of older adults.

• One of the easiest ways to view the sociologic theories is within the context of the ______ at the time in which they were developed.

1. Disengagement Theory 

2. Activity theory 

3. Continuity theories 

4. Age Stratification theory 

5. person-Environment Fit theory 

SOCIOLOGIC THEORIES 

Disengagement theory

According to Cummings and Henry (1961), aging is an inevitable, mutual withdrawal or disengagement, resulting in decreased interaction between the aging person and others in the social system he/she belongs to.

Disengagement theory

• Older people are systematically separated, excluded or disengaged from society because they are not perceived to be of benefit to the society as a whole.

• customary  roles

• introspective and self-focused

Disengagement theory

• Aging  people  withdraw  from ______  and  engage  in  more ___________activities, so the disengagement is mutually beneficial.

• new  equilibrium 

• The  outcome  of  disengagement  is  a ______ that  is  ideally satisfying to both the individual and society.

Activity Theory

This theory sees activity as necessary to maintain a person’s life satisfaction  and  positive  self-concept.  By  remaining  active,  the older person stays young and lively and does not withdraw from society because of an age parameter.

1. It is better to be active than inactive; 

2. It is better to be happy than unhappy; and

3. An older individual is the best judge of his or her own success in achieving the first two assumptions (Havighurst, 1972).

Activity Theory

This theory is based on three assumptions:

Activity Theory

This theory proposes that even with illness or advancing age, the older person can remain active and achieve a sense of life.

Continuity theory

This theory dispels the premises of both the disengagement and activity theories. 

Continuity Theory

According to this theory, being active, trying to maintain a sense of being middle- aged, or willingly withdrawing from society does not necessarily bring happiness. _______ proposes that how a person has been throughout life is how that person will continue to be through the remainder of life.

• continuation

• The latter part of life is a _______ of the earlier part and therefore an integral component of the entire life cycle.

Continuity Theory

• The theory proposes that as people age, they try to maintain or continue previous habits,  preferences,  commitments,  values,  beliefs,  and  the  factors  that  have contributed to their personalities.

Age Stratification theory

This theory examines the interdependence between older adults and society, recognizing that aging and society are interrelated and cause reciprocal changes to individuals, age group cohorts, and society.

Age stratification theory

• historical context

• ______

• Society is stratified into different age categories that are the basis for acquiring resources, roles, status, and deference from others in society. These  age  cohorts  are  influenced  by  the  ________ in  which they live and can vary across generations.

• groups of cohorts that age collectively

• high  degree  of  interdependence

• Society consists of _____________. The people and roles in these cohorts change and influence each other, as does society  at  large.  Therefore,  a  ___________  exists between older adults and society.

Person-environment fit theory

• This theory examines the concept of interrelationships among the competencies of a group of persons, older adults, and their society or environment.

Person-environment fit theory

• Personal competencies

  • 
    

• The capacity to function in one’s environment is an important aspect of successful aging,  and  that  function  is  affected  by  _________- such  as  ego strength, motor skills, biologic health, cognitive capacity, and sensory-perceptual capacity, as well as external conditions imposed by the environment.

• As a person ages, changes or even decreases may occur in some of these personal competencies. These changes influence the individual’s abilities to interrelate with the environment.

Functional Capacity

( Person-environment fit theory)

• influences  an  older  adult’s  ability  to  adapt  to  his  or  her environment.

Basic Assumption (Psychological theory)

• development does not end when a person reaches adulthood but remains a dynamic process throughout lifespan

(Psychological theory)

• Roles, abilities, perspectives, and belief systems changes

 biology and sociology 

(Psychological theory is influenced by?

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs

2. Jung’s Theory of Individualism

3. Erikson’s 8 Stages of life

   1. Peck’s Modification

4. Selective Optimization with Compensation

Enumerate the Psychological Theories

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs

Everyone has an innate internal hierarchy of needs that motivate all human behavior, critical to the growth and development of all people

Self Fulfillment needs

• Self Actualization

Psychological Needs

• Esteem needs

• belongingness and Love needs

Basic Needs

• Safety needs

• Physiological needs

Maslow pyraid

Self-Actualization

: obtained when a person develops and understanding of themselves within the world and accepts who they have become 

Self Actualization = Final Stage of life 

Psychological Viewpoint:

Jung’s theory of Individualism

Personality development throughout life

• Extroversion : external world 

• Introversion: Inner experiences 

Personality is oriented towards :

Erilson’s 8 Stages of life

Within each stage of life, individuals must successfully encounter and resolve a crisis in order to move on to the next stage

Ego Differentiation vs Work Role Preoccupation

Body Transcendence vs Body Preoccupation

Ego Transcendence vs Ego Preoccupation

Enumerate PECK’s MODIFICATIOn

Ego Differentiation vs Work Role Preoccupation

Retirement= Reduce feelings of self worth 

Well Differentiated ego: can find other roles to replace the work role as the major defining source for self-esteem