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Sensorimotor Impairment in the Elderly pp 89–100Cite as

Aging and Plasticity of the Human Motor System: Evidence from Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

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Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASID,volume 75))

Abstract

Studies with positron emission tomography (PET) on changes of the regional cerebral blood flow and metabolism and of the dopamine system in relation to aging are reviewed. It will be shown that studies indicating age-related depressions are opposed by contradictory results denying age effects. It will be discussed that physical factors of the PET cameras, approaches for PET image analysis, and the selection criteria of the subjects examined may account for such discrepancies. These data will be contrasted with abnormal PET image patterns characteristic for age-related diseases of the human brain. In the second part, it will be demonstrated that plastic activity changes of neuronal networks still take place in the aged human brain. Evidence has been derived from PET activation studies in neurological patients who have recovered from hemiplegic ischemic stroke. The observed patterns of regional cerebral blood flow increases during motor activity in these patients are abnormal with respect to magnitude, size of activation areas, and locations of activation areas.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 4000, Düsseldorf 1, Germany

    R. J. Seitz M.D.

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  1. R. J. Seitz M.D.
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Motor Control Section, Exercise and Sport Research Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

    George E. Stelmach

  2. Neurological Therapy Center, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Volker Hömberg

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Seitz, R.J. (1993). Aging and Plasticity of the Human Motor System: Evidence from Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In: Stelmach, G.E., Hömberg, V. (eds) Sensorimotor Impairment in the Elderly. NATO ASI Series, vol 75. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1976-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1976-4_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4872-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1976-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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