Lifespan - Ch. 15

Parkinson disease

A chronic, progressive disease characterized by muscle tremors, slowing of movement, and partial facial paralysis

Macular degeneration

A disease that involves deterioration of the macula of the retina, which corresponds to the focal center of the visual field

Dementia

A global term for any neurological disorder in which the primary symptoms

Major depression

A modd disorder in which the individual is deeply unhappy, demoralized, self-derogatory, and bored.

Semantic memory

A person's knowledge about the world - including a person's fields of expertise, general academic knowledge of the sort learned in school, and "everyday knowledge"

Free-radical theory

A theory of aging that states that people age because inside their cells normal metabolism produces unstable oxygen molecules known as free-radicals. These molecules ricochet around inside cells, damaging DNA and other cellular structurs

amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles

As alzheimer disease progresses, the brain shrinks and deteriorates. This deterioration is characterized by the formation of ______ ____ and _________ _____

Help for patients and families

Can alleviate symptoms, Drug therapy to maintain cognitive skills, External memory aids, Structured daily care and support Support for caregivers

diagnosis of alzheimer

Cannot diagnose with certainty until post-mortem testing of the brain

divided attention

Concentrating on more than one activity at the same time

Glaucoma

Damage to the optic nerve of the pressure created by a buildup of fluid in the eye

selective attention

Focusing on a specific aspect of experience that is relevant while ignoring others that are irrelevant

Symptoms of alzheimers

Gradual decline in memory, attention, judgment. Confusion about time and place. Difficulty communicating. Decline in personal hygiene. In appropriate social behavior. Changes in personality Later stages: Incontinence: loss of bladder or bowel control, Total loss of mobility

Arthritis

Inflammation of the joints that is accompanied by pain, stiffness, and movement problems; especially common in older adults

Cataracts

Involve a thickening of the lens of the eye that causes vision to become cloudy, opaque and distorted

Cellular clock theory

Leonard Hayflick's theory that the maximum number of times that human cells can divide is about 75 to 80. As we age, our cells become increasingly less capable of dividing

80.7

Life expectancy for females today

75.4

Life expectancy for males today

explicit memory

Memory of facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state

Implicit memory

Memory without conscious recollection; involves skills and routine procedures that are automatically performed

cardiovascular

Nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults age 65 to 74 die of cancer or _________ disease

Bridge job

Often blurred process involving part time work

pain

Older adults are less sensitive to ____

Retirement

Process by which people withdraw from full-time occupation

taste

Researchers have found that older adults show a greater decline in their sense of smell than in their _____

Neurogenesis

The generation of new neurons

Life expectancy

The number of years that will probably be lived by the average person born in a particular year

Hormonal stress theory

The theory that aging in the body's hormonal system can lower resilience to stress and increase the likelihood of disease

Life span

The upper boundary of life, the maximum number of years an individual can live. The maximum is about 120 to 125 years

Evolutionary theory of aging

The view that natural selection has not eliminated many harmful conditions and non adaptive characteristics in older adults

Japan at 82 years

What country has the highest life expectancy at birth today?

Social factors such as health attitudes, habits, lifestyles, and occupation

Why can women expect to live longer than men?

Arthritis

_________ is the most common chronic disorder in late adulthood, followed by hypertension

Osteoporosis

a chronic condition that involves an extensive loss of bone tissue and its the main reason many older adults walk with a marked stoop. Women are especially vulnerable to this.

Alzheimer disease

a progressive irreversible brain disorder characterized by a gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language and eventually physical function

Wisdom

expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits excellent judgment about important matters

episodic memory

the retention of information about the where and when of life's happenings

sustained attention

the state of readiness to detect and respond to small change occurring at random times in the environment