the ageing brain Flashcards
what is affected by the ageing brain
vascular changes, anatomical changes, cellular and neuronal changes, cognitive changes
what is the limbic system in control of
learning, memory and emotion
what re the frontal lobes in control of
planning, strategy, working memory
what re the substantial nigra in control of
movement, reward and learning
what is the cerebellum in control of
movement, balance, emotion
what is the caudate in control of
executive functions, reward system
what is fluid intelligence
logical problem solving
is fluid intelligence affected by ageing
yes
what are some of the brain functions (memory) that decrease due to normal ageing
very few changes to implicit, short-terms and procedural memory
gradual decline in episodic memory
recognition works more on familiarity rather than recollection
reduction in prospective memory
what brain functions aren’t affected by ageing
knowledge and wisdom continue to grow, the ability to apply knowledge to skills doesn’t get affected, vocabulary grows, recognition memory doesn’t change
what is the neuropsychological theory for the ageing brain
task performance depends on intactness of different parts of the brain, especially the hippocampus and PFC
what is the general resource theory of the ageing brain
decline in activity to do any task can be explained by a decline in a general ability such as processing speed on attention
how to improve cognitive function
physical activity, physical health, mental health, stress management, diet, social support
what’s the differences between normal ageing and pathological ageing
typical ageing = memory loss, slower to work things out, cant multi-task
pathological = getting lost in familiar places, forgetting a lot, tremors, difficulty in following stories
what are the symptoms of dementia
memory loss, difficulty with tasks and language, impaired judgement, personality change
what are the causes of dementia
neuronal degeneration, blood vessel injury, neurotoxic reactions to alcohol or drugs, infection in the nervous system
what causes Parkinson
the degeneration of dopamine (producing nerve cells - dopaminergic cells)
what does the neuronal deviation disrupt in parkinsons
the CNS capacity to control and coordinate muscle movements
where in the brain is the site for neuronal degeneration in Parkinson’s
the substantial nigra
in AD, how fast is the deterioration
slow
how long does it take for someone to die form AD
4-8 years
what are the symptoms of AD
speech becomes monosyllabic and disappears, behavioural and emotional disturbance , loss of bladder control and bowel, mobility decreases
how many people in 2001 had dementia
24 million
how many people in 2040 will have dementia
84 million
why is there an increase in dementia cases
people are living longer
what percentage does dementia effect people 60-64
1%
what percentage does dementia effect people 85 +
24% and 35%
what are the causes of AD
age, genetics, depression, head injury, obesity, smoking
Brain based markers for AD
brain shrinkage, ventricular enlargement, presence of neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaque
where in the brain is most affected by tangles and plaque in AD
temporal and frontal lobes
what are neurofibrillary tangles
they’re intraneuronal structures composed of protein
what is amyloid plaque and AD
cholingeric pathways of AD patients are damaged by build up of amyloid plaques
what is the treatment for AD
there is no cure, drug therapy delays
