2: aging + cogn

Question 1

research on human brain + cogn aging focuses on?

Answer 1

description, explanation, and potential intervention regarding changes, transitions and statuses in the human life span

Question 2

research on human brain + cogn aging: all ___? (5)

Answer 2

levels (biochemical, cogn, behavioural, etc.), directions (gains/growth, maintenance, decline, degeneration), periods (ST, LT, transitional), rates of change, endpoints

Question 3

4 ways of exploring/testing conditions/influences of brain/aging

Answer 3

observational. mechanism (animal models + experimental). epidemiological. clinical trials

Question 4

4 phenotypes of brain + cogn aging? differentiated by?

Answer 4

normal/non-demented cognitive aging NA. mild cognitive impairment MCI. neurodegenerative disease NDD. health brain + cogn aging HBA. differentiaed by aging trajectories and clinical outcomes

Question 5

what do you see with NAA

Answer 5

“normal”: maintenance and typical decline. graph: three lines where you can stay the same, have a little bit of improvement, or a shallow decline

Question 6

what do you see with MCI

Answer 6

at risk state, potentially transitional to AD. baseline lower, and see maintenance or decline

Question 7

what do you see with NDD

Answer 7

AD, dementia: baseline even lower, and you see a decline

Question 8

what do you see with HBA?

Answer 8

sustained or exceptional levels in late life. overall line higher, and see maintenance + slight decline

Question 9

2 types of AD? main cause?

Answer 9

familial, early onset AD: mutation causes an abnormal APP to be produced; inevitable but rare. sporaid/late onset AD: associated with genes and risk factors

Question 10

most prominent genetic risk factor for AD? protection?

Answer 10

APOE E4: occurs in about 40% of AD patients. protection: APOE E2.

Question 11

AD: prognosis? survival?

Answer 11

inevitable cognitive and health decline. 3 - 10 years

Question 12

female vs. male AD?

Answer 12

incidence more prominent in women than in men

Question 13

def: incidence vs. prevalance

Answer 13

I: number of NEW cases per year. P: TOTAL number of cases in a population

Question 14

early changes: NA + preclnical AD: time frame? main anatomical changes?

Answer 14

5, 10, 20 years. entorhinal and hippocampal atrophy (memory problems) + ventricles enlarge

Question 15

early changes: NA + preclnical AD: detection?

Answer 15

difficult to identify except informally + retrospectively or sometimes post mortem. could begin 10 - 20 years before clinically detectable signs of memory failure

Question 16

preclinical AD with NA brain: concurrent differences? longitudinal trajectories?

Answer 16

concurrent differences intially not striking in any easily detectable morphological characteristic. trajectory: both follow gradual decline functions, over time preAD is more preciptous

Question 17

5 changes in NA and pre-AD brain that are similar/overlapping?

Answer 17

shrinkage in hippocampus and PFC. degradation in white matter. vascular changes (narrowing vessels + fewer new capillaries). plaques + tangles. increase in inflammation.

Question 18

what is the first classifiable phase?

Answer 18

mild cognitive impairment: the suspected precursor developmental phase between NA + AD; differentiates normal decline from NDD

Question 19

what do you see with MCI (graphs?) goal for studying MCI? attribute bifurcation of trajectories to?

Answer 19

group differences but overlapping distributions. attributes bifurcation of trajectories to AD risk factors like genetics, enviro, lifestyle. goal: search for distinguishing and early markers + risk factors