Which of the following is a neurological change in geriatric patients?

Higher activation thresholds for special senses is indeed a neurological change often observed in geriatric patients. As individuals age, there is a natural decline in sensory capabilities, which can lead to the requirement of greater stimulus for the activation of the senses. This can manifest as difficulty in hearing higher frequencies, diminished taste and smell, or altered vision, all of which contribute to higher thresholds for sensory perception.

This physiological change is crucial for healthcare providers to understand because it can affect how older patients interact with their environment and respond to stimuli, ultimately impacting their safety, communication, and quality of life. Recognizing these changes allows clinicians to adapt their assessment and treatment approaches to better meet the needs of geriatric patients.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect typical neurological changes in the elderly; for example, the rate of signal processing generally decreases with age, cerebral blood flow can be diminished rather than improved, and functional reserve—referring to the brain’s ability to cope with stress or injury—often declines as well.