Sensory and Perceptual Changes Flashcards
1
Q
What are the general effects of aging on our senses
A
- There is a general decline in acuity
2
Q
Why does visual acuity decline with age
A
- Some are normal changes that occur with time/age
- Other’s can also be affected by several disorders that increase in prevalence with age, like cataracts
3
Q
Sclera
A
- White of the eye
- Protects and support the eye
4
Q
Cornea
A
- Surface of the eyeball
5
Q
Anterior Chamber
A
- Space between the cornea and lens
- Filled with aqueous humour, which is a water-like fluid
6
Q
Iris
A
- Changes the size of the pupil
7
Q
Lens
A
- Changes shape to focus light rays on the retina
8
Q
Viterous Humour
A
- Maintains shape of the eyeball
- Gel like fluid
9
Q
Retina
A
- Layer of tissue at the back of the eye that converts light into electrical signals for the brain
- Contains rods and cones
10
Q
Rods
A
- In the retina
- Used for night vision
- Eye contains around 125 million
11
Q
Cones
A
- In the retina
- Used in the day for colour
- Important for visual acuity/details
- Eye contains around 6 million
12
Q
The optic nerve
A
- Bundle of nerves that carries visual information from the retina to the brain
- Leaves the eye via the optic disc
13
Q
The optic disc
A
- Part of the retina at the back of the eye where the optic nerve begins
14
Q
What happens to the cornea with age
A
- The cornea becomes thicker and less curved
- Can cause Arcus Senilis which is a gray ring that forms around the edge of the cornea due to fat lipid deposits deep in the edge of the cornea
- Does not affect vision or need treatment
15
Q
What happens to the anterior chamber with age
A
- It gets smaller
- The fluid may drain inadequately, causing intraocular pressure and possibly glaucoma
- Doesn’t impair vision, so it doesn’t need much treatment
16
Q
What happens to the iris and pupil with age
A
- The iris colour fades
- The pupil diameter decreases
- Probably because the lens becomes thicker
17
Q
What happens to the lens with age
A
- Becomes less elastic, more dense, and more yellow
- This causes changes in colour vision and farsightedness increases
18
Q
What happens to the vitreous humour with age
A
- Becomes more liquid
- These loose cells can cause shadows/floaters in our vision
19
Q
What happens to the retina with age
A
- Vessels and capillaries narrow
- Loss and change in chemical sensitivity of rods and cones
- Can cause a decrease in visual acuity due to changes in refraction by cornea or lens
20
Q
Implications of vision loss
A
- Decreased accommodation ability meaning it’s harder to adjust to light and see
- Less light admitted due to smaller pupils
- Reduced number of rods and cones
- Decreased light/dark adaption
- Higher visual threshold meaning less light to stimulate receptors
- Increased sensitivity to glare
- Increased critical flicker fusion (how we can separate stimuli as different)
- Decrease ability to see close objects
21
Q
Cataracts
A
- Lens becomes cloudy or develops opaque areas that block light from passing through
- Usually causes blurry vision
- Around 50% of Americans age 80+ have or have had cataracts
22
Q
Glaucoma
A
- Leading cause of blindness
- Usually caused by inadequate fluid drainage leading to damage of the optic nerve
- May occur gradually or suddenly
23
Q
Macular Degenration
A
- Tissue in the macula (in the retina) deteriorates and a blind sport forms in the center or from the outside and may cause other issues
- One of the most frequent causes of vision loss in people aged 60+
24
Q
Leading causes of blindness in Canada
A
- Cataracts
- Age related macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Cataracts being the most frequent
25
Q
Auditory changes in aging
A
- Normal changes with age, like parts of the ear losing flexibility
- Increased risks of disorders that result in hearing loss, like tinnitus
26
Q
Parts of the outer ear
A
- Pinna: External ear
- Auditory Canal
27
Q
Parts of the middle ear
A
- Tympanic membrane: Eardrum
- Eustchian tubes: From the throat
- Ossicles: Malleus (hammer) is attached to the eardrum. Incus (anvil) bone in the middle of the chain of bones. Stapes (stirrup) attaches the middle to the inner ear
28
Q
What do ossicles do
A
- Transmit sound vibrations from eardrum to oval window
- Oval window make fluids in the inner ear vibrate, which stimulates auditory receptors
- Tympanic reflex: muscles pull ossicles away from membranes when a lour noise occurs
29
Q
Bony labyrinth
A
- Vestibule
- Cochlea: Organ of corti containing hair cells
- Semicircular canals
30
Q
Membranous Labyrunth
A
- Interconnecting membranous ducts in the bony labyrinth
31
Q
How do we hear sound
A
- The sound is channeled through the tympanic membrane to the pinna
- The pinna captures the sound
- The auditory canal funnels the sound to the eardrum
- The eardrum vibrates with sound
- Tubes equalize the pressure
- Ossicles amplify the sound into the inner ear
- To note, the pinna losses flexibility with age, so it’s harder to amplify sound
32
Q
Age related changes to hearing
A
- The pinna lises flexibility and the cilia (hair) becomes stiffer
- Tympanic oval window and round window membranes become less flexible
- Calcification/hardening of ossicles
- Lessened efficiency of the acoustic reflex
33
Q
Conductive hearing impairment
A
- Something is interfering with transmission of sound through the middle ear
- Ex: Ear wax or arthritic changes in ossicles
- Ex: Small procedures or hearing aids can be used to treat this
34
Q
Sensorineural hearing impairment
A
- Disorders of inner ear affecting transmission sound to auditory receptors or through auditory pathways
- Ex: Presbycusis
- Can be treated with hearing aids or surgery in worse cases
35
Q
Mixed type of hearing impairments
A
- Both conductive and sensorineural impairments are occurring at once
36
Q
Risk factors for hearing loss
A
- Aging/Heredity
- Occupational noise
- Recreational noise
- Some medical issues
37
Q
Sound levels in decibels
A
- Safe: 0-84
- Risk Range: 85-119
- Injury Range: 120+
38
Q
Implications of hearing loss
A
- Difficulty understanding words
- Personality changes
- Hearing aids/other implants
- 60% of those over 65 have hearing impairments
39
Q
Presbycusis
A
- Hearing loss that occurs with age
- Usually occurs in both ears
- There are a few types
- 30-35% of 65-75 year olds and 40-50% of those over 75 have this
40
Q
Sensory Presbycusis
A
- Degeneration of organ of corti
- Makes vibrations more difficult
41
Q
Neural Presbycusis
A
- Loss of neurons of cochlea and higher auditory pathway
42
Q
Stiral/Metabolic Presbycusis
A
- Atrophy of fibrous vascular cochlear tissue
- So, the hearing part isn’t working well
43
Q
Mechanical Presbycusis
A
- Affects basilar membrane of cochlea and makes things stiffer
44
Q
Tinnitus
A
- Ringing, roaring, clicking, or hissing sound in the ears that can be severe enough to interfere with ADLs
- Causes: hearing loss, exposure to loud sound, medications, allergies, tumors, or problems in the heart, blood vessels, jaw, or neck
45
Q
Ostosclerosis
A
- Bilateral progressive hearing imparement caused by abnormal bone formation
- Occurs in the oval window and eventually immobilizes the stapes
- Interventions: hearing aids, surgery to replace the non-functionning stapes
46
Q
Why may couples have trouble hearing themselves
A
- Men loose higher pitch sounds first like consonants
- Women loose lower pitch sounds first like vowels
47
Q
How can speech be affected with age
A
- Declines die to sensory problems like hearing loss and cognitive changes affecting things like processing speed
48
Q
Sensory Intergration
A
- Adding a visual element can have people understand speech better
- Ex: A video instead of a podcast
49
Q
Presbycusis and speech perception with aging
A
- Declines in auditory acuity result in impaired language comprehension
- Reduced high-frequency auditory acuity means that some sounds are affected more than others (high frequency is most affected first)
50
Q
How is driving influenced by sensory changes
A
- Old people are more likely to crash and be hurt in a crash
- Vision issues may be a problem
- Hearing issues
- Slower response time
