Language and Ageing

Question 1

how many people are over 60?

Answer 1

almost 1 in 10

Question 2

how many people will be over 60 by 2025?

Answer 2

1 in 5
this will outnumber children aged below 14 by 2050

Question 3

what research has become increasingly important?

Answer 3

due to increased lifespan, research on healthy ageing decline and strategies to maintain cognitive and brain health is more important

Question 4

dominant view of language and ageing

Answer 4

no decline in understanding language

some decline in language production with age

Question 5

recent evidence view of language and ageing

Answer 5

decline in almost all core aspects of understanding and production of language, with room for individual variability

Question 6

speaking- what declines with age?

Answer 6

production of complex syntactic structures

• caused by decline in implicit memory, which is used to determine linguistic contexts

Question 7

longitudinal decline in ______ __________ between 74-78

Answer 7

grammatical complexity

Question 8

age-related differences in word finding abilities

Answer 8

1. percentage of TOT states is higher for older adults
2. older adults had access to less correct phonological information during TOT states

shows evidence of decline in some core aspects of speaking

Question 9

understanding language- how does this decrease with age?

Answer 9

accuracy of detecting syntactic mistakes decreases

reaction time of understanding language increases

• evidence of age-related performance differences in syntactic comprehension

Question 10

what is decline in syntactic comprehension related to?

Answer 10

decline in working memory and processing speed

Question 11

biomarkers of healthy ageing

Answer 11

• physiological function
• endocrine function
• physical capability
• cognitive function
• immune function

Question 12

which lifestyle factors impact brain health and cognition over the lifespan?

Answer 12

sleep, diet, exercise, and cognitive training

Question 13

when is the sharpest decline in activity levels?

Answer 13

75-84 (48% less active)
85+ (26% active)

Question 14

how can training fitness influence cognition>

Answer 14

speed hypothesis

visuospatial hypothesis

controlled-processing hypothesis

executive-control hypothesis

Question 15

speed hypothesis

Answer 15

fitness effects are observed in RT or finger-tapping tasks

looks at low-level CNS function, which is uncontaminated by strategies or high-level cognition

Question 16

visuospatial hypothesis

Answer 16

fitness effects are observed in visuospatial tasks, as these processes are more susceptible to ageing than verbal skills

Question 17

controlled-processing hypothesis

Answer 17

these tasks are more sensitive to fitness differences with age, than tasks that can be executed by automatic processing

Question 18

executive-control hypothesis

Answer 18

improvements in fitness are reflected in enhanced executive-control processes such as:
- coordination
- inhibition scheduling
- planning
- working memory

Question 19

what can regular aerobic exercise offset?

Answer 19

the age-related decline in blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCAy) in healthy humans

Question 20

what are higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels associated with?

Answer 20

greater grey matter volume in the PFC and hippocampus

Question 21

how can higher aerobic fitness levels improve speaking?

Answer 21

reduce TOT probability in older adults

Question 22

what should further research consider for individual differences?

Answer 22

impact of exercise on brain structure, brain function, and cognition

Question 23

which cognitive domains experience a sharp decline with age?

Answer 23

• inductive reasoning
• spatial orientation
• perceptual speed
• verbal memory

Question 24

which cognitive domains experience a gradual decline with age?

Answer 24

• numeric ability

Question 25

which cognitive domains remain fairly consistent with age?

Answer 25

• verbal ability

Question 26

compensation hypothesis

Answer 26

older adults engage greater volumes of brain tissue relative to young adults, which serve as compensatory mechanisms to aid cognitive performance and counteract age-related decline

Question 27

how can the compensation hypothesis explain bilateralisation with age?

Answer 27

age-related differences are strongest in non-dominant hemispheres for specific cognitive functions

explains why activation often appears more bilateral with age

Question 28

when can changes in brain activity be classed as beneficial/compensatory?

Answer 28

if this change contributes to successful performance

Question 29

oscillatory activity

Answer 29

synchronous and coherent electrical activity of neuron groups

Question 30

is there evidence for compensation in ageing? what more research is needed?

Answer 30

some evidence, but more research is needed to explore relationship between brain, behaviour, and individual differences