Lecture 11: The Personal Context of later life

Question 1

Longevity

Answer 1

• increasing average life expectancy

- useful life expectancy

Question 2

Why does average life expectancy increase?

Answer 2

• declining rated of infant mortality
• low rates of death in childbed
• declining rated of infectious diseases
• improvement of medical technology

Question 3

Useful life expectancy?

Answer 3

number of years that a person is free from delibitating chronic disease and impairment

Question 4

Maximum life expectancy?

Answer 4

oldest age to which any person lives - now about 120 years

Question 5

Hayflick limit

Answer 5

each species is subject to a time limit beyond which cells simply lose the capacity to replicate themselves

Question 6

Cellular thories: Telomeres

Answer 6

• the number of telomeres reduces slightly each time a cell divides
• there may be a crucial number of telomeres, if the numer is too low… disease and death follow quickly

Question 7

Telomere

Answer 7

• each chromosome has a string of repetitive DNA at its tip - called a telomere
• protect the end of chromosems from deterioration

Question 8

Cullular theories. Repair and Genetic material and cross-linking

Answer 8

• accumulation of unrepaired breaks in DNA results in loss of cellular function over time

Question 9

When does cross.linking occur?

Answer 9

when undesirable chemical bonds form between proteins or fats (molecules fail to assume the correct shape for proper functioning)

Question 10

Cullular Theories: Free Radicals

Answer 10

• molecular or atoms possess an unpaired electron that may cause irreparable cellular damage that accumulated with age

Question 11

Physiological changes in neurons (1)

Answer 11

1. axons are twisted together and become neurofibrillary tangles ->large nurmber of tangles associated with dementia
2. Dendrons shrivel up and die so that info is not trasnmitted

Question 12

Physiological changes in neurons (2)

Answer 12

3. Damaged neurons cluster around a proteins and form neuritic plaques ->large number of plaques are associted with dementia
4. decreasing level of neurotrasmitters lowers signal transmission across synapses

Question 13

Decreasing levels of neurotransmittel lowers signal transmission.. this leads to what?

Answer 13

• memory problems
• probelms with sleeping
• Parkinson’s disease

Question 14

Physiological changes in the Cardiovascular System

Answer 14

• hgiher risk for heart attacks, etc.
• fatty deposits in and around the heart
• muscle tissue in the heart degenerates
• arteries tend to stiffen with age

Question 15

Physiological changes in hearing

Answer 15

• Presbycusis or the decreasing ability to hear high-pitched tones
• By their late 70s, about 50% suffer from presbycusis

Question 16

Causes of presbycusis:

Answer 16

• Sensory causes: degeneration of the receptor cells in the ear
• Neural causes: loss of neurons in the auditory pathways in the brain
• Metabolic causes: diminished supply of nutrients to the receptor cells
• Mechanical causes: stiffening of the vibrating structures in the receptor areas of the ear

Question 17

Cognitve aging…?

Answer 17

• Short term or working memory declines with age.

- Older people activate their prefrontal cortex already with easier tasks, so that it gets exhausted by use

Question 18

Type of memory

Answer 18

• explicit

- implicit

Question 19

type of memory aid

Answer 19

• external

- internal

Question 20

Mein criteria for depression

Answer 20

• emotional
• cognitive memory problems
• behavioral
• physical loss of appetite, insommnia

Question 21

Dysphoria

Answer 21

feeling sad and down

Question 22

What is alzheimer’s disease marked by?

Answer 22

o	gradual declines in memory, attention, and judgement
o	confusion as to time and space
o	difficulties in communicating
o	decline in self-care skills
o	inappropriate behavior
o	personality changes