Aging

Question 1

What is the maturity principle

Answer 1

Maturity Principal: increase in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability with age

Question 2

Why is there decreased prevalence of most mental heath disorders with age?

Answer 2

• cohort effects of reporting
• exclusion of those with severe MH concerns
• survivor effect

Question 3

Older aging brings change in ability/skills
Successful aging means negotiating via:

Answer 3

1) selecting age appropriate goals
2) optimizing resources to meet goals
3) compensating for change in ability by using alterntive means

Question 4

What is the socio-emotional selectivity theory?

Answer 4

• how we age impacts motivation, emotion regulation and mental health, cognitive functioning and interpersonal skills

Question 5

Name 4 age specific issues related to diagnosis and treatment in older indiv

Answer 5

1. Symptoms may be attributed to age-related instead of psychological factors
2. Diagnosis complicated by comorbidity with chronic physical illness
3. Older adults typically take multiple medications
4. Cohort effects (ex. if ask them to complete the task on the phone, the cohort who didn’t grow up with that might do worse)

Question 6

Name the 4 Aging specific mental disorders

Answer 6

• Depressive disorder
• Sleep-wake disorders
• Anxiety disorder
• Schizophrenia - late onset

Question 7

What are the most common mental disorders in older adults?

Answer 7

neurocognitive disorders (dementia)

Question 8

Describe the initial and Late stages of neurocognitive disorders

Answer 8

Initial Stages
- memory impairment, visuospatial skill deficits
- Agnosia: inability to recognize and name objects (most common symp)
- Facial agnosia
- Other: delusions, depression, agitation, aggression, apathy

Later Stages
- cognitive functioning continues to deteriorate
- Major changes in personality, emotional experience, self-care abilities
- need support
- death from inactivity

Question 9

What are the clinical features of - Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 9

• multiple cognitive deficits that develop gradually and steadily
  = aphasia - difficulty with language
  = apraxia - impaired motor functioning
  = agnosia - failure to recognize objects
• difficulties with planning, organizing, sequencing, or abstracting info
• can include depression, agitation, confusion, anxiety, combativeness
• sundowning

Question 10

What causes Alzheimer’s

Answer 10

• need autopsy for definitive diagnosis
• neurofibrillary tanges
• amyloid plaques

Question 11

What is Vascular NCD

Answer 11

• progressive brain disorder characterized by blockage or damage to blood vessels
• onset is sudden (stroke)

Question 12

What is clinical neuropsychology?

Answer 12

The application of knowledge about brain behavior relationships to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, of indiv with known or suspected CNS dysfunction