title: Aging of the autonomic nervous system and possible improvements in autonomic activity using somatic afferent stimulation.
abstract: There are significant age-related changes in autonomic nervous system function that are responsible for an impaired ability to adapt to environmental or intrinsic visceral stimuli in the elderly. We review data on changes in autonomic nervous system regulation of cardiovascular and urinary function, as well as data on strategies to improve function. There are data showing alterations in peripheral and central autonomic nerve activity, and decreases in neurotransmitter receptor action that lead to diminished autonomic reactivity (e.g. blood pressure and cerebral blood flow regulation) and poorly coordinated autonomic discharge (e.g. bladder function). Simple strategies for autonomic function improvement and increasing cortical blood flow include walking and somatic afferent stimulation (e.g. stroking skin or acupuncture) to increase sympathetic, parasympathetic and central cholinergic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of the Autonomic Nervous System, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan. hhotta@tmig.or.jp
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Sae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchida
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis; D017983:Receptors, Catecholamine / Q000502:physiology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000502:physiology; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D017983:Receptors, Catecholamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine