CODE 106812 ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025 CREDITS 3 cfu anno 1 SCIENZE E TECN. ATTIVITA' MOTORIA PREV. E ADATTATA 8747 (LM-67) - GENOVA SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR M-EDF/01 LANGUAGE Italian TEACHING LOCATION GENOVA SEMESTER 1° Semester MODULES Questo insegnamento è un modulo di: PHYSIOPATHOLOGY OF AGING TEACHING MATERIALS AULAWEB AIMS AND CONTENT AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the course, one should understand how the musculoskeletal system, sensorimotor system and executive functions change during ageing and know the effects of physical activity on these aspects. TEACHING METHODS Lectures. Any Student with documented Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or with any special needs, shall reach out to the Lecturer(s) and to the dedicated SLD Representative in the Department before class begins, in order to liase and arrange the specific teaching methods and ensure proper achievement of the learning aims and outcomes SYLLABUS/CONTENT The neuromuscular system and motor performance in the elderly Motor performance in the elderly Structural and functional brain modifications Impairment of central and peripheral nerve conduction Impairment of proprioception Executive functions and cognitive ageing What are executive functions and what impact do they have on motor performance The effects of ageing on attention, inhibition, working memory, processing speed, problem solving Brain areas responsible for executive functions and their evolution during ageing Physical activity, brain plasticity and cognitive performance in the elderly Brain plasticity The effects of physical activity on cognitive performance Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (NIBS) and their application in the cognitive domain Motor learning and sensorimotor plasticity in the elderly Brain plasticity of sensorimotor areas, how to assess and evoke it Motor learning, effects of physical activity on the ability to learn a movement, innovative motor learning techniques and effects of ageing Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (NIBS) and their application in the motor field Sarcopenia Definition of sarcopenia Age-associated physiological changes Diagnosis of sarcopenia Lifestyles that may promote sarcopenia Hormonal causes of sarcopenia Free radical damage Muscle changes in the elderly MRFs and satellite cells Bone tissue Bone metabolism RANK/OPG ratio Changes in calcium and phosphate metabolism in the elderly Determinants of bone ageing Age as a fracture risk factor RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY Slides and scientific articles provided by lecturer. TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD AMBRA BISIO Ricevimento: By appointment e-mail: ambra.bisio@unige.it PIERO RUGGERI Ricevimento: By appointment, e-mail: ruggeri@unige.it Exam Board AMBRA BISIO (President) FIAMMETTA MONACELLI (President) SUSANNA PENCO (President) GABRIELLA PIETRA (President) PIERO RUGGERI (President) ANNA FASSIO (President and Coordinator of Integrated Course) LESSONS LESSONS START Autumn semester. Class schedule The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy EXAMS EXAM DESCRIPTION The examination is written and is integrated with that of the 'Physiology of Ageing' teaching. T he examination consists of 31 multiple choice questions (4 possible choices, one correct) balanced on the basis of the number of credits in each of the two modules. Each question is worth one point. The duration is 40 minutes. FURTHER INFORMATION It is advisable, at the beginning of the course, to subscribe to Aulaweb in order to receive and be kept up-to-date on teaching details.