12.1_memory (aging, dementia, alzheimers)

Question 1

effects of

- age (on types memory)

Answer 1

impaired

1. concious recollection
2. working mem
3. episodic mem
4. declarative mem
5. spatial mem / navigation

remain stable

1. autobiographical mem
2. semantic mem

Question 2

effects of _age

- learning / memory function

Answer 2

impaired

1. encoding and retrieval
   - less cortical activation when trying to learn/remember new
2. loss of neurons and connections
   - in hippocampus and cortex
3. cholinergic transmission
   - deterior. connectivity of septal complex and nucleus of meynert (cholinergic imputs)
   to. . hippocampus and cortex

Question 3

brain changes_age
volume *2
- expansion
- reduction

effected areas?
nonaffected areas?

Answer 3

1. cerebral ventricles expansion
2. regional volume reduction (no uniform)
   - some region shrink 1% per year
   - others remain stable

• effected..
• prefrontal cortex (mostly)
• hippocampus
• not effected
• pons insensitive

Question 4

brain changes_age

• white matter hyperintersities
• 3

Answer 4

white matter hyperintensities
- sm. region higly intense on MRI

1. myelin_deficiency
2. gliosis
3. cerebral perfusion _reduct.

Question 5

neuron struct. and funct _age

*6

Answer 5

1. decr. size
2. dendritic branches and spines = less
3. presynaptic terminals / postsynaptic memb. = reduce length
4. late stage LTP (long term potentiation)= deficits (short term to long term mem.)
5. neurogenesis = decline
6. neuron behavior = incr. nonsynchronistic, lead to > neurotransmitter(eg acetylcholine) release = less reliable

Question 6

neurotransmitter changes (age)
*2

Answer 6

1. dopamine
   reduc. in dopamine
   - synthesis
   - receptors
   - transporters
   * esp. in
   - striatum
   - frontal cortex

2. serotonin
lower levels of serotonin
- synthesis
- receptors
- transporters
*in
- striatum
- frontal cortex
- hippocampus

Question 7

memory disorders

- major symptom

Answer 7

global decline in brain function (from previosly fine memory/learning function vs ADD, schizophrenia etc)

Question 8

memory disorders

- most common causes of dementia incl

Answer 8

1. alzheimer’s dis. (70%)
2. vascular dementia (20%)
3. dementia w/ lewy bodies (10%)

Question 9

one of the major

- neurotransmitters

Answer 9

acetylcholine