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As we mature into our later years, it’s perfectly natural to seek companionship and intimacy. And just as our bodies change with age, so too do our brains and neurotransmitter levels, which can profoundly impact our relationships.
But knowledge is power – understanding how neurotransmitters in senior health like dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin fluctuate can provide key insights into preserving our ability to form meaningful bonds.
In this guide, we’ll explore how our nervous systems change as seniors, and simple, practical steps you can take to keep your spark alive.
We’ll skip the heavy medical terminology, and instead focus on actionable advice to nurture positivity, emotional availability and mental sharpness. Because you deserve to pursue wholesome connections well into your golden years.
Our aim is to empower seniors just like you to take charge of aging neurotransmitter balance, without judgement or complications. If you’re eager to enhance self-knowledge and relational health, let’s begin unlocking the senior brain’s remarkable capacity for love.
The Nervous System
The basic building block of the nervous system is known as a neuron, and its function is to work as a messenger, passing signals from the brain to the rest of the body and passing back impulses from the body back to the brain.
Neurons can be described as short strings placed end-to-end that spread throughout our entire bodies, and they work by sending electrical signals along their lengths. Even though each neuron might have as many as 15,000 connections with neighboring neurons, they do not, however, touch each other directly at any point.
So what happens once an electrical signal travels from one tip of a neuron to the opposing end? That’s where neurotransmitters come in. Various tips of a neuron interface with those of another through structures known as synapses, which feature tiny gaps within which the neurotransmitters travel.
What is a Neurotransmitters in Senior Health?
Neurotransmitters are essentially chemical go-betweens that deliver signals emanating from neurons and heading to their target cells, which might be other nerve cells, muscle cells, or glands. These chemicals do not attach themselves to random targets.
A dopamine receptor, for example, will only attach itself to dopamine receptors, thereby triggering certain actions in the target cell.
When we speak of triggering actions in the target cells, we describe actions that influence a vast array of psychological and physical reactions. These include digestion, mood, appetite, muscle movement, concentration, heart rate, sleep cycles, breathing, and so on.
When the neurotransmitters corresponding to any of these functions are in low supply or dysfunctional, the system or function in question will also be impaired.
It’s helpful to note that once a neurotransmitter has done its job, it has to be removed in some way from the synapse so that it doesn’t keep continuously activating the receptor cell. Our bodies take care of this potential problem through three processes, namely:
- Reuptake: Here, the released neurotransmitter will be taken back up by the neuron that initially released it, effectively taking it out of the equation.
- Degradation: Some neurotransmitters in senior health will have to be broken down through the action of enzymes introduced into the synapse. These will interfere with the chemical composition of the neurotransmitter, eventually leading to their destruction.
- Diffusion: Here, the neurotransmitter will simply drift away from its receptor once it has met its receptor. After diffusion, neurotransmitters that are not degraded will eventually be absorbed by glial cells surrounding the synapse.
The Various Categories of Neurotransmitters in Senior Health
There are different methods of categorizing neurotransmitters, with the broadest and, perhaps, most useful being the effect on the receptor cells. This is the most interesting metric to consider them by. We can place them in these three categories:
- Excitatory Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters that work in this fashion trigger responses that cause the receiving neuron or cell to generate a nerve impulse, which is a new electrical signal. It is an action signal which provokes reactions in other cells.
An excellent example to consider is when we touch a hot surface. The neurotransmission activity will occur from our fingertips through the nerves and eventually lead to our brains.
- Inhibitory Neurotransmitters
As the name suggests, these neurotransmitters help trigger a response that prevents or slows a particular reaction in the body. It works in the direct opposite way that excitatory neurotransmitters work.
- Modulatory Neurotransmitters
These are something of a mix between the two previous categories in that their effect on receptors may vary. When triggered by modulating receptors, the result might be that consequent reactions will show a preference for excitatory or inhibitory effects.
Different Types of Neurotransmitters on Aging and Their Functions
Now, hundreds of neurotransmitters have been discovered, but they are not all alike in terms of importance, activity, and volumes within our systems. Some of the essential neurotransmitters in the human body include:
- Gamma-AminoButyric Acid (GABA)
This inhibitory neurotransmitter helps keep our neurons stable, avoiding irritability, restlessness, and anxiety. The treatment of anxiety through benzodiazepines works by increasing the levels of GABA in the patient’s system, thereby calming them.
- Glutamate
This is considered the most abundant neurotransmitter in the human body and works in combination with GABA to maintain homeostasis in the human body.
It is present in high volumes because it is a key element in the working of the nervous system, which traverses all points of the body. While there are plenty of natural sources of glutamate in nature, such as tomatoes, cheese, soy, seaweed, mushrooms, and so on, too much of it in your system may lead to having a stroke.
- Acetylcholine
This is an excitatory neurotransmitter that plays a key role in facilitating muscle contractions, controlling our heartbeats, stimulating the production of certain hormones, and enabling proper memory and brain function. Patients who have Alzheimer’s disease take medication that slows down the breakdown of acetylcholine.
- Endorphins
These are popularly known as nature’s painkillers due to their role in inhibiting pain signals when the body determines them to be detrimental to its overall wellbeing.
The most common example of this is the runner’s high,’ an energized feeling of euphoria that comes over a runner after a long stretch of exertion. Laughter also triggers the release of this neurotransmitter.
- Serotonin
This inhibitory neurotransmitter is essential in regulating a person’s appetite, mood, blood clotting ability, circadian rhythm, and sleep. It is especially notable in its involvement in conditions such as anxiety and depression, which affect countless people worldwide.
- Epinephrine
Most of us know this as adrenaline, which is the agent responsible for our fight or flight response. While this can be useful in times of danger, excessive quantities of this neurotransmitter/hormone are also highly stressful on the body, potentially resulting in high blood pressure, heart disease, decreased immunity, diabetes, and so on.
Epinephrine has various applications in the medical industry, including treating serious conditions, including cardiac arrest, asthma attacks, severe infections, allergic reactions, etc.
Diseases and Disorders that Neurotransmitters Influence
Various conditions strongly relate to the levels of certain types of neurotransmitters in the patient’s system. The scientific community has reasonable confidence in linking the following conditions to certain neurotransmitters, as follows:
- Depression
The state we know as clinical depression has been shown to come about due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Specifically, it is the patient’s depletion or lack of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
For this reason, patients suffering from this condition are typically treated with medications aimed at increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters in the patient’s brain.
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are an example of such medications, which work by keeping the reuptake process (as we mentioned earlier) from occurring, thus keeping their levels optimal.
- Huntington’s Disease
This disease is considered a primarily hereditary condition, meaning that it travels generationally from parents to their children and is, unfortunately, without a cure.
The consensus on its causes is a chronic reduction in the neurotransmitter levels known as GABA in the patient’s brain. Treatment is undertaken through the administering of this inhibitory neurotransmitter.
- Alzheimer’s Disease
This condition affects a significant segment of the elderly population and is characterized by learning and memory impairment. This neurodegenerative disorder is thought to be occasioned by drops in the levels of acetylcholine within regions of the patient’s brain.
- Schizophrenia
This is a severe mental condition characterized by mental breaks and psychotic episodes that can be distressing and potentially harmful to the patient and those around them.
It is believed that the onset of Schizophrenia may be triggered by chronic and continued drug use, which interferes with the body’s ability to regulate the levels of dopamine in its system.
The treatment of Schizophrenia is conducted medically by administering drugs that inhibit dopamine levels in the patient’s frontal lobes.
Final Thoughts on Aging Neurotransmitter Balance
As we grow older, preserving aging neurotransmitter balance becomes essential for healthy relationships. While research continues into how these chemical messengers influence mood and memory, we know imbalances underlie conditions like depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
By being proactive and getting checked for reduced dopamine or acetylcholine levels, mature adults can take control of emotional availability and cognitive sharpness – both key to meaningful bonds.
Don’t assume you must accept certain conditions as an inevitable part of aging. From couples therapy to lifestyle changes that support nerve health, myriad options exist to nurture your capacity for intimacy.
Prioritize self-care regimens that optimize neurotransmitter function, whether Thai Chi, mindfulness or Mediterranean diets. And if you suspect your maturity brings harder-to-pinpoint changes in outlook or energy, seek guidance. Empowered by awareness, seniors have excellent prospects for nurturing enduring bonds.
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