chapter 10 (psychology of aging)

what are the major symptoms of alzheimers?

1. Gradual changes in cognitive functioning 2. declines in memory beginning with loss of recent memory and progressing to loss of remote memory, learning, attention, and judgement 3. disorientation in time and space 4. hard time in word finding and communication skills 5. bad personal hygiene and self care

What does the clinical diagnosis of alzheimers disease consist of?

1. carefully noting the history of the symptoms 2. documenting cognitive impairment 3. conducting a general physical/ neurological exam 4. preforming laboratory tests 5. obtaining a psychiatric evaluation 6. Assessing functional abilities

what are the characteristics of huntingtons disease? (4)

1. involuntary flicking of arms and legs. 2. inhibility to sustain a motor act 3. prominent psychiatric disturbances 4. personality changes

what are the different stages of alzhiemers?

1. memory loss, disorientation, personality changes 2. increased memory problems, difficulties with speech, restlessness, irritability, loss of impulse control. 3. Incontinence of urine and feces, loss of motor skills, decreased appetite, great difficulty with speech and language, not recognizing self or family members, low ability to fight off infection.

is delirium preventable?

1/3 cases are preventable if cause of non-preventable delirium is addressed- most cases can be cured. some cases delirium can be fatal or result in permanent brain damage.

What is the average duration of Alzheimer?

9 years; can last 1-15 years thooo *****

Spaces Retrieval

A behavioral, implicit-internal memory intervention used in early and middle-stage dementia. Invloves teaching persons with alzheimers disease to remember new information by gradually increasing the timebetween retrieval attempts.

Delirium

A disorder characterized by a disturbance of cognition and a change in cognition that takes place over a short period of time.

what is delirium characterized by?

A disturbance of consciousness and change in cognition that develop over a short period of time.

Dementia

A family of diseases characterized by cognitive decline, Alzheimer disease in the most common form.

vascular dementia

A form of dementia cause by a series of small stokes.

Autosomal Dominant inheritance patterns

A genetic inheritance pattern that requires only one gene from either ones mother or father in order to cause a trait or condition to develop.

Mental status exam

A short screening test that assesses mental competence usually used as a brief indicator of dementia or other serious cognitive impairment.

Beta- amyloid

A type of protein involved in the formation of neuritic plaques both in normal aging and Alzheimer disease.

Behavior therapy

A type of psychotherapy that focuses on and attempts to alter current behavior. Underlying causes of the problem may not be addressed.

What are the different kinds of dementia? (6)

Alzheimer's disease vascular dementia Parkinson disease Huntington disease alcohol-related dementia AIDS dementia complex

what is huntingtons disease?

An autosomal dominant disorder that begins between the ages of 30 and 45.

what characteristics are common among older adults with depression? (6)

Being female unmarried widowed recently bereaved experiencing stressful life events lacking adequate social support network

Dysphoria

Feeling down or blue marked by extreme sadness; the major symptom of depression.

what causes vascular disease progression?

If a person experiences numerous small cerebral vascular accidents. Its progression is step wise and highly variable across people.

what medications are involved in alzheimers disease?

No drugs are highly effective especially in later stages of the disease. However, they can be proscribed from a variety of interscholastic inhibitors.

what is dementia?

Not a specific disease but rather a family of diseased characterize by cognitive behaviors deficits involving some form of permanent damage to the brain.

what age group is particularly susceptible to delirium and why?

Older adults because they tend to take more medication than any other age group.

Familism

Refers to the idea each partner contributes something to the relationship.

Sun Downing

The phenomenon when people with Alzheimer disease show an increase in symptoms later in the say.

Beta- amyloid Cascade Hypothesis

The process that beta-amyloids create neuritic plaques, that in turn lead to neurotically tangles, that cause neuronal death and when this occurs severely enough, Alzheimer disease.

When is the progression of Alzheimer disease more rapid?

When it occurs earlier in life.

what is delirium commonly accompanied by and how is it alleviated?

accompanied by: severe misinterpretation of the environment and confusion. alleviated by: reliable family member or friend who can provide reassurance.

what is tau protein and what does it do?

another protein involved in alzheimers disease. It acts within a neuron and spreads across neruons.

what are some treatment options for depression? (4)

antidepressant medications augmentation of antidepressants with lithium thyroid medications, carbamazephine electroconvulsive therapy combine 1 and 4

what can delirium change in terms of cognition? (5)

attention, memory, orientation, and language

what are certain forms of alzheimers related to?

autosomal dominant genes related to beta-amyloid protein

what miscroscopic changes define alzheimers disease?

cell death, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuritic plaque

what are some causes/risk factors of Alzheimer's disease?

changes in vascular system in the brain which cause increases in blood flow in the frontal cortex combined with decrease blood flow in parietal and temporal lobes. there are definite biological markers for certain early-onset that can be identified.

what characteristic puts older adults at a higher risk for depression? (3)

chronically ill nursing home resident family care providers

what chronic conditions accompany depression? (3)

coronary heart disease diabetes asthma

the rate of severe depression from young adulthood to old age for healthy people?

declines

what does research suggest causes Parkinson disease?

deterioration of the neurons that produce the nerurotransmitter dopamine. When 60-80% of the dopamine producing cells are damaged and dont produce enough dopaminne motor symptoms of parkinsons appears

what is the most important aspect of diagnosing delirium?

diagnosing/differentiating delirium from depression and dementia.

what are key features of late-life anxiety disorders? 4

distress and impairment frequency and uncontrollable worry muscle tension sleep disturbance

does alcohol abuse go up or down in older adults compared to younger adults?

down

what are symptoms of anxiety disorders?

dry mouth sweating dizziness upset stomach diarrhea insomnia hyperventilation chest pain choking frequent urination headaches sensation of lump in throat

what is the most prominent feature of clinical depression?

dysphoria

what are come components of clinical depression? (5)

dysphoria physical symptoms symptoms must last at least 2 weeks other causes must be ruled out clinician must determine how their symptoms are affecting daily life.

how is parkinsons treated?

effectively through medication and neurostimulator. most popular is levodopa.

where does the most rapid cell death occur? 3

hippocampus cortex basal forebrain

why are anxiety disorders more common among older adults? 5

loss of health relocation stress isolation fear of losing control over their lives guilt from hostility towards family/friends

what does research suggest preceedes motor symptoms problems of parkinsons?

loss of sense of smell sleep disorders constipation

how are anxiety disorders treated?

medication (variety of benzodiazepine, buspitive,paroxetine, buspitve, and beta blockers.) and psychotherapy --older adults need to be monitored because treatment is low and side effects are high.

do woman or men abuse alcohol more?

men abuse it 2 to 6 times more than women.

are anxiety disorders more common in older or younger adults?

older adults

when can alzheimers be diagnosed?

only after an autopsy of the brain

what the treatment options for older adults with anxiety disorders?

psychotherapy, specifically cognitive behavioral or relaxation therapy.

what is Alzheimer's disease?

the most common form of progressive, degenerative, and fatal dementia, accounting for perhaps 70% of all dementia cases.

what do anxiety disorders in older adults usually indicate?

underlying health problems