Cognition and ageing Flashcards
What happens as you age
neurons decrease in number + size
decreased volume of cortical grey matter
less efficient cellular functions
As you age some things are preserved and some things decline. Give an example of each
Word knowledge is preserved
Working and long term memory, and processing speed decline
What happens to working memory as you age
Decrease in WM span (WM buffers and stores)
Decline in attentional inhibition (WM central executive)
What happens to attention as you age
Reduced inhibition of bringing irrelevant information into convo
Difficulty with parallel-processing cognitive demands - known as dual task interference - performance of one or both tasks declines
Factors that affect cognitive change
Environmental factors across lifespan (nutrition, stimulation)
Biological (genetics, sex)
