Technically Aging Research helps older adults lead fulfilling lives
I
f it were not for the walker that helps get him from place to place, 99-year-old James Tipton would appear to be a much younger man. He carries on a conversation without the use of hearing aids. When he smiles, he shows the teeth that erupted from his own gums. He doesn't tire as he shares the story of his life over a nearly fivehour interview. How can he have vivid memories of an experience in 1915 but a 50-something can't remember where he left his car keys? Technically, Tipton is aging — aged even. Why doesn't he act like he's an old man? Research at Georgia Tech seeks answers to a wealth of questions regarding cognitive aging. Could playing a Wii game help slow mental deterioration more effectively than doing a crossword puzzle? Studies in the School of Applied Physiology could lead to products designed specifically to help improve older adults' neuromuscular functions. A glove developed at the Georgia Tech Research Institute allows anyone to feel what it's like to have arthritis and provides incentives to find effective treatments and develop assistive technologies. Someday it may not be so remarkable to recount century-old experiences, although it's hard to imagine Jim Tipton's story being anything but remarkable.
May/June 2010
Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine 55