The role of the extrapyramidal system in the pathophysiology of aging is reviewed. The clinical, pathological and biochemical evidence points to the involvement of the basal ganglia in the development of senescence; also, the hypothalamus does not respond normally. Many endocrine functions decrease with advancing age, but senescence of the central nervous system precedes that of the endocrine organs. Aging can be considered as a failure in the homeostatic mechanism of the organism. This involves the autonomic nervous system and the neuroendocrine mechanisms in the hypothalamus. Aging of the diencephalon influences the aging process of the whole organism, and is manifested by slowness of movements, defects in speech, thinking and alertness, decreased sexual activity, and changes in the waking/sleep pattern.
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André Barbeau (1973) studied this question.
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