[MA] Physical and Cognitive Flashcards
What is the span of middle adulthood?
40-65 years old
What is being described:
Transition between early and late adulthood
Time of growth and progression
Reach peak performances and maturity levels
Characterized by power, wisdom, and control
Middle Adulthood
What is the term for the preparation for older adulthood?
“Afternoon of life”
What factors influence physical changes in middle adulthood?
- genetics
- lifestyle
- overall health
- movement functions
Is the reaction time of middle adults increasing or decreasing?
Decreasing
What do you call:
decreased bone density, more common in women, vulnerable to fractures?
Osteoporosis
When there is reduction in balance and agility, there is _?
increased risk of falling
Are the physiological changes appearing slowly, rapidly, or gradually for middle adults?
gradually
The noticeable changes in hair are due to:
aging, hormonal fluctuations, and genetic predispositions
One of the most common changes in hair is ____ due to (increase/decrease) production of melanin, leading to gray or white strands.
graying, decrease
Hair thinning or loss lead to:
reduced ___ in women and increased ___ in men
estrogen; dihydrotestosterone
- Decreased ____ and ____ production in skin
- Reduced skin elasticity and formation of _____
- collagen and elastin
- wrinkles
- Skin becomes ___ and ____
- Oil gland activity ____, leading to a ___ texture
- drier and thinner
- declines; rougher
_____ start to appear due to prolonged sun exposure over the years
Sunspots
- _____ cell turnover
- _____ complexion
- _______ healing time for wounds
- Slower
- Dull
- Longer
- Skin _____
loss of underlying fat and muscle tone
- sagging
Is there an increase or decrease in muscle mass and strength during MA?
decrease
What do you call the phenomenon where even with same lifestyle (diet and exercise), weight gain still happens due to slow metabolism in middle adults?
Middle-age spread
What increases risk of osteoporosis and fractures?
Bone density declines
Why is osteoporosis more prevalent in women?
Prevalent in women after menopause due to lower estrogen levels
- Decreased ability to focus on near objects (this is accommodation, wherein MA read down with glasses facing down)
- Increased sensitivity to glare and difficulty seeing in low-light conditions
Presbyopia
How does night vision naturally worsening with aging manifests?
Lens thickens and pupil becomes smaller
Loss of hearing acuity
Presbycusis
Which (high/low) pitch hearing declines fast?
high
Manifested around ages 40-80 years old
Ringing or buzzing in one or both ears
Tinnitus
Decline in hearing affects ___ since it is controlled by the vestubulocochlear nerve located in the inner ear.
balance
Taste buds (increases/decreases) and may shrink, leading to reduced sensitivity to the five basic tastes.
decreases
Is there less/more saliva produced?
less -> dry mouth, diminished taste perception
The sense of smell improves or diminishes?
Decreased number of olfactory receptors
Changes in nasal cavity lining
Affect ability to detect hazards such as smoke or spoiled food
Number of nerve endings in the skin decreases leads to?
Reduced sensitivity to light touch, pressure, and texture
Pain perception declines as nerve conduction slows
Delayed response to pain
Increased risk of unnoticed injuries
Skin becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic
Vulnerable to cuts, bruises, and irritation
Sensitivity to temperature may decrease
Increases risk of burns, frostbite, and hypothermia
At age ___, individuals experience diminished sensitivity to pain.
50
What can begin as early as 40 years old?
Loss of muscle mass and strength (weaker muscles)
- Physical exertion becomes harder
Sarcopenia
Overuse
Joint degeneration
Wear and tear in joints
Is there fat accumulation in stomach area?
Yes
Buildup of fatty plaque in arteries
Atherosclerosis
In GI system, what are the changes?
Heartburn and gallstones
If there is weaken muscles including diaphraghm, the lunch capacity will be ___? How about if the bones are thinning?
reduce lung capacity; lower lung expansion
Cognitive functions are _____ or even ____
Brain continues to have ____ according to mid-age experiences
Amount of brain white matter _____ into the 50s before declining
maintained or even improved; plasticity; increases
___ in total number of glomeruli per kidney
Decline
Immune system experiences gradual process of (decline/improve)
(Less/more) able to distinguish foreign substances
Macrophages work more (slowly/faster)
(more/fewer) white blood cells
(Rise/Decline) in chronic background inflammation at age ___
Reduces the ability of the body to respond to infections or vaccinations
decline; Less; slowly; fewer; Rise at 55
Most decline of ___ hormones
sex hormones
decline of fertility during midlife
climacteric
Women experience ______
Causes loss of _____ and _____
Views: _____ (positive), Aging (negative)
Diminished vaginal lubrication
Thinning of vaginal wall
menopause; estrogen and progesterone; Freedom and Aging
Men undergo ____
Decline in testosterone levels and sexual drive/libido
Fertility is (gone/ never gone)
___ of sex drive, loss of body hair, loss of muscle mass
andropause; never gone; Lack
Strength decline progressively after __ years old
40
Musculoskeletal hand issues become more common after ___ years old
Bone density decreases, reducing dexterity and grip strength
50
ADSLs are more challenging but changes occur (faster/slowly) and independece is compromised (now/later) in life
slowly; later
IADLs are (manageable/not manageable) due to brain plasticity.
manageable
Middle-aged workers often report (higher or lower) levels of job satisfaction
higher
(Increased/decreased) responsibilities and (higher/lower) wages
increased; higher
True or False:
May face challenges
Reduced hours or pay cuts during economic downturns due to cost reductions of companies
True
True or False:
Takes faster to be employed again unlike young adults due to higher salary needed to match job experience
False; slower to be employed
_____ remains a popular leisure activity
Engaging in social leisure activities is crucial for enhancing social connections
Vital for mental health during this stage of life
Watching television
Challenge of the changing nature of intergenerational dynamics
Has the potential to take a toll on middle-aged adults mental and physical health
Intergenerational Dynamic (i.e. raising children, caregiving for aging parents)
A major predictor of mental and physical health
Important factor for retirees whose post-retirement income is predicted to decline
Socioeconomic status
Some research show that _______ highest and _____ lowest in midlife
depression and distress; well-being
Other findings show that ____ increases or is relatively stable
well-being
Causes vulnerability to poor mental and physical health
Job insecurities
Indirectly affects middle-aged adults with adult children by creating a financial burden and weighing on mental health
Job stability
True or False:
Early retirees may experience depression related to retirement
Generally speaking, the transition from work to retirement affects health, depression, and quality of life positively
True
Middle adults who attain fewer years of education compared to young adults and old adults experience:
More sleep problems
Severe headaches
Concentration difficulties
Alcohol dependence
Among those that identify as LGBT,
Rates of depression, anxiety, and serious psychological distress are ___in midlife
Higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders than self-identified heterosexual individuals
highest
Popular Activities
___ – most common across racial and ethnic groups
____ – preferred by women
____ – aerobics, strength training, offering a more convenient alternative to structured fitness programs
Walking; Gardening; Home-based exercise
60% of older Filipino women report regular physical activity
76% completion rate for community-based ____ programs
Zumba
Adherence Challenges
65% recognize nutrition’s importance, but only ___ follow a healthy diet
- Need for strategies to bridge awareness and action
19%
Enhances confidence and youthfulness
Women in their 40s–50s appear younger with makeup
Make-up and Self-Image
most commonly consumed DS for health maintenance
Often linked to health-promoting behaviors such as regular physical activity, adequate sleep, weight
Multivitamins
True or False: Higher usage among women and married individuals
False - men
Reinforces changing appearance among MA
mass media
40 - 65: perceptions of physical losses remain relatively stable
Around __ years old: self-image declines
55
Self-esteem is ____ correlated to quality of life and _____ associated with death anxiety in middle aged adults with chronic diseases
positively; negatively
Negative image and Emotional Well-being lead to
shame, anxiety, comparison to others
Positive image
life satisfaction, purpose
Knowing
Weight Management Trends
87% of women, 59% of men attempted weight loss
What are their motivations?
Special events, social expectations
Overall Perspective on Aging
Acceptance leads to growth and new experiences
Most causes of death are:
heart disease and cancer
Common health conditions among men and women
Men: Fatal chronic conditions
E.g. coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke
Women: Non-fatal illnesses
E.g. arthritis, varicose veins
Most Prevalent Condition
Strongly linked to mobility disability in middle-aged adults
Women with OA have 2.8 times higher odds of mobility disability
Gradual progression → Importance of early intervention
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Leading cause of death globally
Key risk factors:
Hypertension (most common)
Diabetes
Hyperlipidemia
Associated with worse physical function
Heart Disease/ Hypertension
less frequent than bone disease but has more significant impact
cardiovascular disease
Increases anxiety & depression
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):
Asthma & COPD treatments
High-dose corticosteroids → Can lead to depressive symptoms
Sleep apnea & chronic pain:
Contribute to depression & anxiety
Common disorders in middle-Aged Adults
higher in women
Depression and anxiety
True or False:
- Processing speed declines starting 30s but is more pronounced in middle adulthood
- Decline in ability to acquire new knowledge under speeded conditions
True
What factors affect the speed of information processing?
cognitive domains, reasoning, visuospatial skills, working memory
Due to increase in ____ or fluctuations in cognitive performance, there are inconsistencies in response times and cognitive abilities
intraindividual variability (IIV)
True or False:
More time is needed to learn new information during MA
True
True or False
better multitasking
False
True or False
Semantic and procedural memory remain intact
True
(knowledge and vocabulary) remain stable / improves
Stores general knowledge and facts about the world.
Semantic memory
(learned skills) shows little to no decline
Stores skills and actions that become automatic over time.
Procedural memory
True or False:
Decline in divided and selective attention
True
Sustained attention ability peaks in early 40s
around 43
True or False:
After this peak in attention, a gradual decline begins
In compensation, adults refine strategic adjustments
True
highest compared to YA and OA
Due to accumulated experience
Increase of problem-solving ability happens before eventual decrease
Practical problem solving
Changes may be due to: frontal white matter undergoing _____ maturation and degeneration processes
asymmetrical
(Increase/Decrease) Problem-solving ability in laboratory tasks
Decreases
Decrease in abstract reasoning speed is compensated by ______ from experience
learned strategies
Creativity generally ____ before middle adulthood
peaks
Peak depends on the field:
Arts: _____
Philosophy: ______
Arts: Young Adult
Philosophy: Middle Adult
ability to process information quickly (e.g., logical reasoning, reaction time, spatial awareness)
Using acquired knowledge and skills to solve problems
Crystallised Intelligence
ability to add knowledge from experience (e.g., reading comprehension, vocabulary)
Ability to reason and solve problems in new situations
Fluid intelligence
Fluid Intelligence (improves/declines)
Crystallized intelligence (improves/declines)
Fluid Intelligence (declines)
Crystallized intelligence (improves)
What are the two types of fluency mentioned in cognitive research?
Phonetic fluency and semantic fluency
By what percentage is fluency reduced among men and women aged 45-49?
4%
By what percentage does vocabulary decrease among women aged 55-59?
5%
What is the difference between internal and external locus of control?
Internal: actions affect future; External: external forces affect future
How does a stronger locus of control relate to cognitive abilities?
Stronger locus of control is linked to better cognitive abilities
True or False:
Stronger control beliefs linked to better executive function including episodic memory
False - excluding
True or False
Sense of control may decline with age
True
True or False:
Aspects of language decline with age due to left brain lateralization
True
___ can improve cognitive performance (eg: Mediterranean or Nordic diet)
Diverse diet
Physical activity can improve (fluid/crystallized) intelligence
fluid
Observable midlife crisis
monotony
Tacit knowledge (expertise gained from experience) (increases/decreases)
increases
