The neurology of aging: normal versus pathologic change

Mild changes in neurologic function occur with aging but generally do not substantially interfere with everyday activities unless disease intervenes. Not infrequently, older adults experience minor impairment in memory, speed of cognitive processing, sleep, vision and hearing, vibratory sense in the lower extremities, and gait and posture. In general, these changes correspond with age-associated neuroanatomic changes (eg, diminished brain weight), but there is wide variability in the extent to which these changes occur. Often, "normal" neurologic changes are difficult to distinguish from impairment associated with disease.