Chapter 17 key terms

Question 1

Vascular dementia

Answer 1

a form of dementia caused by one or more strokes

Question 2

dementia

Answer 2

A neurological disorder involving problems with memory and thinking that affect an individual’s emotional, social, and physical functioning

Question 3

synaptic plasticity

Answer 3

the redundancy in the nervous system the ensures that it is nearly always possible for a nerve impulse to move from one neuron to another or from a neuron to another type of cell ( eg. muscle cell)

Question 4

Hayflick limit

Answer 4

the theoretical proposal that get species is subject to a genetically programmes time limit after which cells no longer have any capacity to replicate themselves accurately

Question 5

telomere

Answer 5

string of repetitive DNA at the tip of each chromosome in the body that appears to serve as a kind of timekeeping mechanism

Question 6

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 6

a very severe form of dementia, the cause of which is unknown

Question 7

tinnitus

Answer 7

a persistent ringing in the ears

Question 8

geriatric dysthymia

Answer 8

chronic depressed mood in older adults

Question 9

instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)

Answer 9

more complex daily living tasks such as doing housework, cooking, and managing money

Question 10

frail elderly

Answer 10

seniors whose physical and/or mental impairments are so extensive that they cannot care for themselves

Question 11

basic activities of daily living (BADLs)

Answer 11

self-help tasks such as bathing, dressing, and using the toilet

Question 12

free radicals

Answer 12

molecules or atoms that possess an unpaired electron

Question 13

satiety

Answer 13

the feeling of fullness that follows a meal

Question 14

gerontology

Answer 14

the scientific study of aging

Question 15

years lived with disability (YLDs)

Answer 15

a component of DALY that measures the short- or long-term loss of health associated with disease or disability

Question 16

cross-linking

Answer 16

the formation of undesirable bonds between proteins or fats

Question 17

functional status

Answer 17

a measure of an individual’s ability to perform certain roles and tasks, particularly self-help tasks and other chores of daily living

Question 18

wisdom

Answer 18

a hypothesized cognitive characteristic of older adults that includes accumulated knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to practical living

Question 19

senescene

Answer 19

physical changes and declines associated with aging