Adults caring for their elderly parents are sometimes embarrassed by a parent's racist remarks that appear completely out of character or a sudden penchant to travel to Indian casinos to gamble too much.
Bet you never thought of brain atrophy of the frontal lobe.
Brain Atrophy Leads to Unintended Racism, Depression and Problem Gambling
As we age, our brains slowly shrink in volume and weight. This includes significant atrophy within the frontal lobes, the seat of executive functioning. Executive functions include planning, controlling, and inhibiting thought and behavior. In the aging population, an inability to inhibit unwanted thoughts and behavior causes several social behaviors and cognitions to go awry.
In a study appearing in the October issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, University of Queensland psychologist, Bill von Hippel, reports that decreased inhibitory ability in late adulthood can lead to unintended prejudice, social inappropriateness, depression, and gambling problems.