ABSTRACT
The functional integrity of the nervous system is well maintained in most elderly persons despite the morphologic and biochemical changes described in the previous chapter. This ability to conserve neurologic and intellectual competence into old age attests to the nervous system’s plasticity and its capability, under certain conditions, to repair itself and compensate in response to damage and injury. As noted in Chapter 6, the demonstration of new cell growth and new sprouting of dendrites in the brains of adult and old animals, including humans, suggests that compensatory mechanisms and some regenerative capacity persist in the aging brain. Indeed, ongoing research supports the prospect that neurodegenerative diseases may eventually be treatable or prevented altogether. The difficulty for nerve cellsperhaps more than for any other cells of the body-is that their function depends not only on their number and integrity but also on their inherent capacity to connect with other cells, to reach their synaptic target, and to be able to secure appropriate neurotransmitter signaling.
