Chapter 17 Flashcards
Chronological age
Actual number age
functional age
actual performance/competence
Is longevity genetic?
Yes, to some degree
BUT environment plays an important role, too
Brain changes in late adulthood
Loss of neurons
◦ Frontal lobes
◦ Corpus callosum
◦ Cerebellum
Body changes in late adulthood
Cardiovascular and respiratory declines
◦ What you do in your youth matters!
Not smoking, low-fat diet, exercising
Immune system declines
◦ Diseases progress more quickly
◦ More sensitive to stress-induced infection
Appearance declines
◦ Height and weight ↓
◦ Hair changes color (if it hasn’t already)
◦ Sagging, wrinkled, age-spotted skin
Less mobile
◦ Muscle and bone strength ↓
◦ Joint flexibility ↓
Primary aging
species-wide, genetic
Secondary aging
due to hereditary defects and environment
Changes in sleep pattern in late adulthood
Harder to fall asleep and stay asleep
Go to bed earlier and wake up earlier
Vision and hearing changes
Cataracts and macular degeneration
Speech perception issues = ↓ life satisfaction
Plus ↓ in selective attention and reaction time
↑ accidents
Changes to other senses
↓ taste and odor sensitivity
↓ touch sensitivity
Mental disabilities
Dementia
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s
Severe memory problems
◦ Personality changes
◦ Depression
◦ Impaired movement
◦ Speech problems (comprehension and production)
◦ Death
◦ What might lead to AD?
Neurofibrillary tangles: Twisted threads of collapsed neural structures
Amyloid plaques: Dense deposits of amyloid, a deteriorated protein, and clumps of dead nerve cells and glial cells
Neurotransmitter declines: Esp. acetylcholine and serotonin
Familial Alzheimer’s
Early onset, quick progression
◦ Dominant genes on chromosomes 1, 14, and 21
Produce harmful amyloid
Sporadic Alzheimer’s
Abnormal ApoE4 gene on chromosome 19 insulin deficiency which can cause brain damage
How might one reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s?
Low-fat diet
◦ Physical activity
◦ Manage stress
◦ Monitor heart disease
◦ “Mediterranean diet”
