Chapter 1. Sensation and Perception

Short Description

Sensory abilities change throughout our lives. This video explores the changes in vision and hearing during the lifespan. Our senses continue to develop into early adulthood, but begin to decline starting at 25 years of age. During adulthood, our senses become less acute and may require assistive technology. Changes in senses cause disruptions and can affect daily life, including a lessening of flavor sensations or difficulty smelling.

Long Description

When a child is born they typically can only see approximately 8 to 12 inches in front of their face; however, by the baby’s first birthday they typically have 20/20 vision. Vision improves quickly from birth and during early childhood. Decline in eyesight causes a number of challenges. Two common diseases that affect vision are glaucoma and macular degeneration. Glaucoma results from damage to the optic nerve causing an increase in fluid pressure in the eye. This typically results in a loss of peripheral vision. Macular degeneration occurs from an accumulation of cellular debris between the layers of the retina and results in a loss of sight in the center field of vision.

Hearing loss is another common sensory change during aging. Approximately 50% of individuals in their mid-70s have some discernable hearing loss. Hearing loss has been associated with depression and social isolation. It can be difficult to join in social gatherings. Thankfully, technology has enabled improvement for those with hearing loss which assists in social connectedness. One such piece of technology is the cochlear implant which acts as a prosthetic substitute for the hair cells in the ear. Aging is a part of life and presents many different challenges; however, there are many positive aspects to aging as well.

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