Unit 14 Flashcards
Demographers
People who study population trends.
Population Pyramid
Graphic technique for illustrating population trends.
Average Longevity
Age at which half of the people born in a particular year will have died.
Maximum Longevity (Life Expectancy)
Oldest age to which any person lives.
Active Life Expectancy
Number of years that a person is free from debilitating chronic disease and impairment.
Dependent Life Expectancy
Number of years a person lives with a debilitating chronic disease in which the person depends on others for care.
Telomeres
Tips of chromosomes that play a major role in aging by adjusting the cell’s response to stress and growth stimulation based on cell divisions and DNA damage.
Telomerase
Enzyme need in DNA replication to fully reproduce the telomeres when cells divide.
Free Radicals
Highly reactive chemicals produced randomly in normal metabolism.
Neurofibrillary Tangles
Spiral-shaped masses formed when fibers that compose the axon become twisted together.
Beta-Amyloid
A protein that is the basis for neuritic plaques and is thought to be a basis for dementia.
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals released by neurons in order for them to communicate with each other.
Atherosclerosis
A disease caused by calcification and blockages in the arteries.
Strokes, or Cerebral Vascular Accidents (CVAs)
Interruption of the blood flow in the brain due to blockage or a hemorrhage in a cerebral artery.
Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs)
Interruption of blood flow to the brain; often an early warning sign of stroke.
Vascular Dementia
Disease caused by numerous small cerebral vascular accidents.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Most common form of incapacitating respiratory disease among older adults.
Presbyopia
Difficult seeing close objects clearly.
Cataracts
Opaque spots on the lens that limit the amount of light transmitted.
Glaucoma
Disease in which the fluid in the eye does not drain properly, causing a very high internal pressure that can damage the eye and cause loss of vision.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Progressive and irreversible destruction of receptors from any of a number of causes.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Eye disease that is a result of diabetes and can involve fluid retention in the macula, detachment of the retina, hemorrhage, and anuerysms.
Presbycusis
Reduced sensitivity to high-pitched tones.
Diabetes Mellitus
Disease that occurs when the pancreas produces insufficient insulin.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type of diabetes that usually develops earlier in life and requires the use of insulin; sometimes called insulin-dependent diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type of diabetes that typically develops in adulthood and is often effectively managed through diet.
Circadian Rhythms
Sleep - Wake cycle.
Metabolism
The rate at which energy is need and used in the body.
Speed of Processing
How quickly and efficiently the early steps in information processing are completed.
Divided Attention
The ability of people to perform more than one task simultaneously.
Working Memory
Processes and structures involved in holding information in mind and simultaneously using it for other functions.
Implicit Memory
Unconscious remembering of information learned at some earlier time.
Explicit Memory
Deliberate and conscious remembering of information that is learned and remembered at a specific time.
Episodic Memory
General class of memory having to do with the conscious recollection of information from a specific time or event.
Semantic Memory
General class of memory concerning the remembering of meanings of words or concepts not tied to a specific time or event.
Autobiographical Memory
Memory for events that occur during one’s life.
External Memory Aids
Memory aids that rely on environmental resources, such as notebooks and calendars.
Internal Memory Aids
Memory aids that rely on mental processes, such as imagery.
Creativity
The ability to produce work that is novel, high in demand, and task appropriate.
Dysphoria
Feeling sad or down.
Internal Belief Systems
View of a cause of depression of what one tells oneself about why certain things are happening.
Behavior Therapy
Type of therapy based on the notion that depressed people experience too few rewards or reinforcements from their environment.
Cognitive Therapy
Type of therapy based on the idea that maladaptive beliefs or cognitions about oneself are responsible for depression.
Anxiety Disorders
Problems such as feelings of severe anxiety, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
Dementia
Family of diseases involving serious impairment of behavioral and cognitive functioning and some form of permanent damage to the brain.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Disease marked by gradual declines in memory, attention, and judgment; confusion as to time and place; difficulties in communicating; decline in self-care skills; inappropriate behavior; and personality changes.
Incontinence
Loss of bladder or bowel control.
Beta-Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis
Theory of Alzheimer’s disease in which beta-amyloid deposits create neuritic plaques, that in turn lead to neurofibrillary tangles, that cause neuronal death and Alzheimer’s disease.
Parkinson’s Disease
Brain disease known primarily for its characteristic motor symptoms: very slow walking, difficulty getting into and out of chairs, and a slow hand tremor, but it can develop into a form of dementia.
