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HDFS 249N > Aging mental and emotional changes > Flashcards

Aging mental and emotional changes Flashcards

1
Q

Mental health and brain

A

Great organ, very specialized (face
recognition, language, sadness center,
etc.).
* Highly connected (music).
* No two human brains are folded in the
same exact way. Each brain is unique.
* It regulates our movements, feelings,
behaviors, cognitive processes,
everything.
* Different functions during day/night

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2
Q

Neuron

A

Basic working unit of the
brain, a specialized cell
* Designed to transmit
information
* Most neurons have a cell
body or soma, an axon and
dendrites

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3
Q

Changes in neurons

A

Number of neurons declines
(neurogenesis slows down)
* Number and size of dendrites
decreases
* Tangles develop in axon fibers
* Increases in deposits of proteins
* Number of synapses decreases
(slowing of transmission)

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4
Q

Changes in neurotransmitters and brain structures

A

Changes in Neurotransmitters
* Dopamine is associated with
higher–level cognitive functioning,
so declines are related to poorer:
* Episodic memory
* Tasks that require fast processing

Changes in Brain Structures
* Indicates myelin loss or neural
atrophy
* Shrinkage

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5
Q

Structural brain changes

A

Executive Functioning
* Difficulty focusing solely on relevant information (reduced
myelin and volume of prefrontal cortex)
* Maintain crystallized intelligence -vocabulary, knowledge
* Reduced fluid intelligence –speed of information processing,
working memory

Memory
* Specific structural changes (e.g., the hippocampus) result in
memory decline

Emotion
* Increased processing of positive emotional information with age
* Better emotion regulation with age

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6
Q

Positivity effect

A

Social-Emotional Cognition
* Older adults may rely more on automatic judgment processes
than reflective processing

Prefrontal Cortex
* The Positivity Effect: Older adults are more motivated to
derive emotional meaning from life and to maintain positive
feelings than younger adults

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7
Q

Older adults mental health

A

*Psychological well-being and happiness increase into old
age
* Stress and anger decline, and worry subsides after 50
* People aged 65 and over – less sad or hopeless
* Positive feelings about their own well-being,
* Well-being self-perception is associated with health and
longevity
9

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8
Q

Compensation for brain changes

A

Studies show that, when presented
with similar tasks, younger adults
exhibit focal, unilateral activity in
left prefrontal region and older
adults exhibit bilateral activity
(both left and right prefrontal areas).
* Older adults are compensating.
* Bilateral activation in older adults plays
a supportive role in older adults’
cognitive function.

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9
Q

Neuroplasticity

A

The brain changes in response to our
ideas, actions, and activities
* This ability to change is called
neuroplasticity
* The ability of the brain to change
structure or function in a sustained
manner in response to some typical
external stimulation.

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10
Q

neuroplasticity part 2

A

Chemistry. Changes in neurotransmitters, hormones, beta
amyloid toxins, etc.
* Structure. This refers to changes at the neuronal level
such as neurogenesis (new neurons), synaptogenesis
(new connections among neurons), dendritic arborization
(more connections among neurons), and network
reorganization.
* Function. Changes in function. Before, language, now
language and objects recognition.
* Great orchestra. Most of the time, they affect each other.

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11
Q

Importance of neuroplasticity

A

Neurodevelopment
* Stimulation throughout all development
* Damage/injuries
* Neuromodulation (deep brain stimulation)
* Neurofeedback
* Stem cells
* Therapy (physical and psychological).
* Prevention
* Protective factors
* Cognitive reserve

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12
Q

Memory

A

Memory
* Ability to retain or store information and retrieve it when needed; not a single ability
* Most adults over 65 report declines in memory functioning.
* Sensory memory
* Information is passively stored for immediate recall and shows only small age-related
declines.
* Short-term/Working memory
* Information held for 30 seconds.
* Working memory involves actively performing mental operations on information and
shows substantial declines with age
* Long-term memory
* Encoded information is stored and can remain for years
* Semantic –stable or higher (vocabulary), Episodic- Shows declines, it can be improved with
environmental support, Prospective (remembering to perform a planned action)-some
decline (how to set up your alarm)

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13
Q

WHY DOES WORKING MEMORY DECLINE WITH
AGE?

A
  • Older people may experience:
  • less mental energy or attentional resources
  • less able to use working memory strategies
  • decline in processing speed
  • less able to inhibit intruding stimuli
  • less able to engage in reflective processes
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14
Q

Dementia

A

Syndrome of progressive decline in memory and other
intellectual abilities
* It is acquired, it is persistent, and involves impairment in
multiple domains of intellectual functioning. It interferes
with social or occupational activities.
* Decline on different cognitive abilities
* Alzheimer’s – 7 (It could also be mild cognitive impairment)

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15
Q

Types of dementia

A

Primary- Does not result from any other disease
* Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia,
Frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease
* Secondary- May occur in conjunction with another illness or
injury
* Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis
* Others – Reversible
* Dehydration, malnutrition, infections (Lyme disease, meningitis),
poisoning (kidney problems), some medication, anoxia, heart and lung
problems, brain injury, and so on.

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16
Q

Most common dementia

A

Alzheimer’s disease is neurodegenerative brain damage.
* It is related with the formation of abnormal clumps (neurotoxic
plaques) and tangles in the brain that interfere with normal
communication among neurons, causing problems in different areas
and irreversible changes in the brain.

can’t be cured

17
Q

protective factors for dementia

A

Education (years)
* Absence of vascular risk
factors,
* High score in mental, social,
and physical activity

prevention: challenge the brain, do things differently

Doing things differently challenges the brain, activates fresh
pathways in the neuronal network, and makes additional
connections.
* When nerve cells (neurons) are stimulated in new ways, there is
increased growth in specific chemicals (neurotrophins), which
promote the maintenance and health of the nerve cells, acting as
brain nutrients (Seagull & Seagull, 2005).
* Cognitive training can promote neural and cognitive plasticity

18
Q

Depression reasons and treatment

A

Etiology
* Biological- Medications, changes in neurotransmitters, previous history
of depression
* Psychological – Losses such as job, family, friends, income, home,
energy , health
* Social – Isolation, lack of respect or recognition, lack of intimate
relationships, difficulties to communicate with others, etc.
* Treatment
* Therapy – Counselors, clinical social workers, gerontologist-psych
* Medication
* Combined

19
Q

Depression

A

Depression – It is a disease!!
* It is associated with feelings of despair, a denial of self-worth,
and somatic symptoms
* Very often older adults are underdiagnosed
* Stereotypes
* Depressed people have somatic complaints – poor sleep and appetite, fatigue,
pain (difficult to diagnose, because other chronic conditions or normative
changes)
* As other stages in development, the causes vary a lot
* Nursing home seniors and those with severe illness are at higher risk
for depression

20
Q

Suicide

A

Highest rate of all stages of
development
* Pay attention to suicidal ideation. In
many cases, the attempt is successful.
* Men more than women

21
Q

Enjoyment and happiness show a modest increase into old age.

A

True

22
Q

Not a normal part of aging

A

depression and self-harm

23
Q

Despite their losses, older people are much less likely to experience depression than people of any other age group.

A

True

24
Q

Suicide rate is high among blank older adults

A

white men

25
Q

People usually do better on challenging cognitive tasks when they:

A

Are happy, feel better about their abilities, have good social support

26
Q

Which of the following seems to improve with age?

A

Vocabulary

27
Q

is a syndrome of progressive decline in memory and other intellectual abilities.

A

Dementia

28
Q

It can be ___________ caused by dehydration, malnutrition, infections (Lyme disease, meningitis), poisoning (kidney problems), some medication, anoxia, heart and lung problems, brain injury, and so on.

A

Reversible

29
Q

Moreover, it can be___________, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease.

A

Non-reversible

30
Q

are associated with a reduced risk of dementia, such as high education, absence of vascular risk factors, high score in mental, social, and physical activity.

A

Protective factors

31
Q

Typical age related changes

A

Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later

Occasionally making errors when balancing a checkbook

Misplacing things from time to time and retracing steps to find them

32
Q

A sign of alzheimer’s

A

Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure

Memory loss that disrupts daily life

33
Q

There is a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

A

False

34
Q

Management of Alzheimer’s diseases includes which of the following?

A

becoming educated about disease, effective management of coexisting conditions, participation in activities that are meaningful and bring purpose to one’s life

35
Q

Physical exercise brings oxygen and increases blood flow to the brain, helping to maintain intellectual abilities.

A

True

36
Q

These activities help older adults to maintain their mental abilities

A

playing chess/doing crosswords, learning to play instruments, participating in civic org, church activities, or social groups

except: watch TV all day

37
Q

Inadequate nutrition over a period of time can lead to:

A

mood changes, depression, memory loss

HDFS 249N (5 decks)

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