Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood

Question 1

appearance

Answer 1

age spots, loss of collagen and elasticity, visible blood vessels, nose and ears grow big

Question 2

sarcopenia

Answer 2

loss of muscle mass and strength

Question 3

vision

Answer 3

cataracts (clouding)
macular degeneration (loss of cells in retina leading cuase of blindness)
-makes participation less

Question 4

hearing

Answer 4

presbycusis
-Older adults experience difficulty distinguishing high-frequency sounds, soft sounds of all frequencies, and complex tone patterns and show less activation of the auditory cortex in response to speech
-compensate by reducing background noise
-many don’t use hearing aids bc stigma and cost

Question 5

smell and taste

Answer 5

dry mouth
-bland food
-loss of smell = bad health
-

Question 6

respiratory, cardiovascular and immune

Answer 6

heart has cell loss and more rigid
-pacemaker cells die
-atherosclerosis (plaque build up)
-lungs loose cells
-reduces amt of oxygen
-immune system is less adaptive
-

Question 7

motor aging

Answer 7

physical activity can increase musce strength
-loss of balance
-gait declines
-gait speed is a marker of overall health

Question 8

brain

Answer 8

brain volume decreases
-prefrontal cortex decline
-slow and gradual
-compensate by using different areas of brain to solve problems
-brain activity spread out
-

Question 9

cognitive reserve

Answer 9

the ability to make flexible and efficient use of available brain resources to promote cognitive efficiency, flexibility, and adaptability
-helps brain compensate for lss
-

Question 10

neurogenesis

Answer 10

continues through life

Question 11

dementia

Answer 11

progressive loss of mental abilities due to changes in the brain that influence higher cortical functions such as thinking, memory, comprehension, and emotional control, and are reflected in impaired thought and behavior, interfering with the older adult’s capacity to engage in everyday activities

Question 12

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 12

neurodegenerative disorder that progresses from mild to moderate cognitive declines to include personality and behavior changes, motor problems, severe dementia, and death
-beta-amyloid
-amyloid plaques
-neurofibrillary tangles
-diagnosed through exclusion
-genetic
-common in women

Question 13

vascular dementia

Answer 13

second most common form of dementia and loss of mental ability in older adulthood, worldwide
-caused by strokes or blockage in brain
-show improvement
-common in men

Question 14

parkinsons

Answer 14

occurs when neurons in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired.
-progression of motor symptoms including tremors, slowness of movement, difficulty initiating movement, rigidity, difficulty with balance, and a shuffling walk
-exclusion
-not curable

Question 15

lewy body

Answer 15

progressive dementia that interferes with social or occupational functions and deficits on cognitive tasks, such as attention, visuospatial ability, and executive function
-visual hallucinations
-causes death

Question 16

successful aging

Answer 16

demonstrating high levels of well-being in advanced age

Question 17

APOE gene

Answer 17

associated with longevity, and centenarians show different patterns of APOE activation that may be linked with their lower likelihood of disease and longer lifespan

Question 18

osteoarthritis

Answer 18

most common type
-affects joints that we use most often: the hips, knees, lower back, and hands
-cartilage wears away

Question 18

nutrition

Answer 18

older adults require fewer calories and diets must be more nutrient dense
-vitamin and mineral supplement may be beneficial
-

Question 19

osteoporosis

Question 20

death from unintential injuries

Question 21

attention

Question 22

working memory

Answer 22

declines, changes in attention influence it
-practice can reduce loss
-proactive interderence: when information that has previously been remembered interferes with memory for new information

Question 23

semantic memory

Answer 23

shows little decline
-memory for factual material

Question 24

episodic memory

Answer 24

memory for experiences declines