Ageing was associated with diminished beat-to-beat variation to postural change, reduced vasoconstrictor response to cooling, and decreased baroreflex sensitivity compared to young adults.
Observational (n=113)
How does ageing affect autonomic nervous responses in healthy adults and elderly patients with specific clinical syndromes?
Ageing is associated with multisystem physiological impairment in autonomic neural pathways, which is further exacerbated in patients with specific clinical syndromes like atonic bladder.
The effects of ageing on autonomic nervous responses have been investigated in 29 young adults, 64 healthy elderly in the age range 66 to 86 years, and 20 elderly in-patients with hypothermia, instability of bladder function or marked orthostatic hypotension. In the healthy elderly group, the beat-to-beat variation in response to postural change was significantly diminished, the vasoconstrictor response to cooling reduced and baroreflex sensitivity during lower-body negative pressure was decreased compared with young adults. Patients with an atronic bladder, determined by urodynamic tests, showed an even more marked decrease in baroreflex sensitivity. The multisystem nature of these autonomic disturbances suggests that physiological impairment may occur in autonomic neural pathways with ageing.
Collins et al. (1980) conducted an observational in Ageing (n=113). Ageing vs. Young adults was evaluated on Autonomic nervous responses (beat-to-beat variation, vasoconstrictor response, baroreflex sensitivity). Ageing was associated with diminished beat-to-beat variation to postural change, reduced vasoconstrictor response to cooling, and decreased baroreflex sensitivity compared to young adults.