12:10 – 12:30 PM — Refreshments
12:30 – 2:00 PM — Lecture and Q&A
714C University Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Ettore Ferrari, M.D.
Chair of Gerontology & Geriatrics
University of Pavia, Italy
Age-Related Neuroendocrine Changes and Their Relevance to Successful or Pathological Aging; Ethical Issues Related to Hormone Administration in the Elderly
The hypothalamo-pituitary axis (HPA), as well as the pineal and thyroid glands, undergo changes with aging that may be related to physiologic aging and to the occurrence of age-related diseases such as depression and dementia. Hormonal secretions and their circadian fluctuations are presented together with changing responsiveness to pharmocologic stimulations. Ethical problems generated by hormone replacement therapy in the elderly are also discussed.