Lecture 10- Neurocognitive Disorders Flashcards
Old Age Statistics
Defined as everbody over 65
Currently 36 million people
12% of population
Predicted to be 20% of population by 2030
Jeanne calment
Longest documented life, died age 122
Normal Aging Cognitive Changes
Slowed processing speed
Novel tasks become difficult
Difficulty recalling names
No dysfunction
Developmental Changes Based on Focus Area
Arithmetic, comprehension, information, and vocabulary continue to increase until ~50
Short term and working memory peak ~35
Normal Aging Pathological Changes
Variable degrees of cognitive weakness
Cortical atrophy
Accumulation fo Alzheimer-type pathology
Reduced cerebral blood flow
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory
Argues that older adults show bias towards positive material in life by altering emotional regulation strategies
Explains increase in well-being and contentment with age
Cognitive Reserve Theory
Argues that increased brain use throughout lifetime builds neuron density that provides resistance against Alzheimer’s caused dementia symptoms
Barrier Task Study
Shows that older adults are capable of learning and retaining new information to perform novel tasks on par with younger adults when collaboratively focused
Required participants to work together and describe novel symbols to one another to test working memory
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
Transitional stage of cognitive impairment before Dementia
Cognitive weakness (1 standard deviation) in 1 domain
Impacting cognitive skills but not function or ADLs
Turns into dementia at 15-20% per year with 80% over 6 years
Dementia Risk Factors and Causes
The largest risk is increased age
5% by age 65 and doubles every decade
Caused by many conditions:
Alzheimer’s, Vascular disease, Pick’s, Medications, depression, alcohol and drugs, tumors, hydrocephalus, etc.
Dementia Warning Signs
Memory loss that impacts normal activities
Language issues
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Disorientation to time or place
Changes in mood, behavior, or personality
Poor judgement and decision making
Dementia Symptoms
Acquired impairments (2 standard deviations) in 2 or more cognitive domains
Severe enough to interfere with normal activities
Alzheimer’s Disease Description
Age-related irreversible brain disorder with a gradual development
Cognitive and behavioral impairment
Caused by breakdown and death of brain cells
Amyloid plaques
Deposits of beta-amyloid protein between cells that interfere with communication, causing cell death
Present in Alzheimer’s
Neurofibrillary Tangles
Twisted tau protein fibers within neurons that causes abnormal functioning and cell death, leaving non-functional tombstone cells in Alzheimer’s disease
