Dev Psych Ch. 18
Slowed processing speed in old age is linked to
- accumulated knowledge over years - emergence of dementia over 6 years - declining neural connectivity - less dopamine production
What factors contribute to the decline in fluid mechanics in late adulthood? (3)
- declines in processing speed -declines in working memory - reduced effectiveness in suppressing irrelevant info
Retirement satisfaction linked to
- having a retirement plan - resilience - social integration - adopting new roles - quality of family relationships - being flexible
Changes in discourse with age
- omit key elements of story/instructions making it harder to follow
What 3 things have an important influence in the cognitive functioning of older adults
1. education 2. work 3. health
Motivations for working beyond retirement (4)
1. financial status 2. health 3. knowledge 4. purpose in life
The 2 main worries approaching retirement are
1. having to draw retirement income from savings 2. paying for health-care expenses
Reasons for decline in working memory in old age
1. less efficient inhibition 2. increased distractibility
2 main ideas to keep in mind when considering cognitive decline
1. training can improve decline 2. there is some loss in plasticity in late adulthood
____ to ___% of life is spend in retirement. That is on average ___ years
10-15% 18
Return to work from retirement occurs on average ____ years after leaving
4
Highest suicide rate occurs between age ____ to ____
45-64
_____________ disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementias
Alzheimer's
Drugs for treatment of Alzheimers
Aricept, Razadyne, and Exelon (cholinesterase inhibitors) Namenda and Namzatric
Cognitive/FLUID mechanics
The "hardware" of the mind, reflecting the neurophysiological architecture of the brain that was developed through evolution Consists of multiple components: speed/accuracy of sensory input, attention, visual and motor memory, discrimination, comparison, and categorization *may decline in old age
Cognitive/CRYSTALIZED pragmatics
The culture-based "software programs" of the mind. Consists of: reading and writing skills, language comprehension, educational qualifications, professional skills, and also self understanding and life skills that help us cope with life challenges *heavily influenced by culture- increases w old age
Mindfulness
The state of being alert and mentally present for one's everyday activities *meditation to increase cognitive functioning and physical activity duration
Neurofibrillary tangles
Twisted protein fibers that form within certain brain cells as people age. People with Alzheimer's disease have an excessive number of such tangles.
the gene _________________ is linked to an increase in plaques and tangles
apolipoprotien E (Apo E) also ApoE4
Less effective ___________ and processing speed were linked to declining memory in older adults
attention *Get distracted easier- exercise and meditate to improve
Parkinsons treatment
dopamine agonists Deep brain stimulation (DBS) cell transplantation gene therapy
Processing speed begins to decline in ____________ adulthood
early
Crystalized intelligence (gc)
knowledge and skills gained through experience and education and the ability to access that knowledge; intelligence that tends to increase over the life span
Declines in fluid mechanics in late adulthood are thought to be caused, in part, by a reduced effectiveness in suppressing irrelevant information, otherwise known as
inhibition
Executive attention
involves planning actions, allocating attention to goals, detecting and compensating for errors, monitoring progress on tasks, and dealing with novel or difficult circumstances
Depression (is/is not) more common in older adults than younger adults
is not
Tip of the tongue phenomenon (TOT)
knowing a word, but not being able to immediately recall it
religious service attendance increases in ___________ adulthood and decreases in _____________ adulthood
late; older leads to longevity
Baby boomers expect to retire (earlier/later) than parents
later
__________________ is known as the common cold of mental disorder
major depression
Executive function
managing one's thoughts to engage in goal-directed behavior and exercise self-control *highly associated with prefrontal cortex **Aerobic exercise and vitamin D to improve
Explicit/declarative memory
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare"
Prospective memory
remembering to do things in the future (remembering to remember) *increased planning to improve
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
represents a transitional state between the cognitive changes of normal aging and very early disease
Most likely to commit suicide is
widowed male who lives alone and has failing health
Cognitive neuroscience
A field that attempts to understand the links between brain activity and cognitive functioning *Use fMRI, PET scan, and DTI (diffusion tensor imaging)
___________________ may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease
Bilingualism
_____________ and ______________ memory are part of explicit memory
Episodic and semantic
For the most part _______________ memory declines more in old age than ______________ memory
Episodic; semantic
_______________ has the earliest retirement age at 61 for men and 60 for women and ________________ had the latest retirement
France Korea
_________________ has an influence on cognitive decline
Heart disease
No drugs have been approved by the FDA for
MCI (risk factor of Alzhe)
Which of the following is sometimes referred to as the "common cold" of mental disorders?
Major depression
Implicit memory
Memories we don't deliberately remember or reflect on consciously -comes natural like riding bike/driving
Average age of men and women to retire
Men: 64 Women: 62
_____________ and _________________ are also believed to be linked to causing Alzheimer's
Oxidative stress and mitchondria *Also cardiovascular risk factors and
Parkinsons disease
a chronic, progressive disease characterized by muscle tremors, slowing of movement, and partial facial paralysis -due to loss of dopamine producing neurons in the brain
Dementia
a global term for any neurological disorder in which the primary symptoms involve a deterioration of mental functioning Alzheimer's accounts for 60-80% of dementias
Semantic memory
a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world Includes: field of expertise, academic knowledge, and everyday knowledge
Alzheimer's disease
a progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally, physical functioning due to loss of acetylcholine- brain shrinks 6th leading cause of death 2/3 are women mostly affects AA's
Respite care
a type of care provided for caregivers of homebound ill, disabled, or elderly patients
Terminal decline
acceleration in deterioration of cognitive functioning prior to death
Working memory
active maintenance of information in short-term storage- mental work bench
Reminiscence bump
adults remember more events from the 2nd and 3rd decades of life than from the other decades also matters (1) how first experience went, (2) the importance of the memory, and (3) the emotional salience associated w said memory
Why do women have higher rates of depression than men?
bc women ruminate in their feelings also lower incomes and having 1 or more chronic conditions
Compared to middle aged adults, in older adults depression is more likely to be ___________
chronic- high rate of relapse
_______________ ability is one of the strongest predictors of job performance in older adults
cognitive *also linked to higher cognitive/physical functioning and less cognitive decline due to age
Use it or lose it is a component of the __________ ______________ approach, which emphasizes the role of social and intellectual engagement in protecting against declines in intellectual development.
cognitive optimization
Adults in this generation are more likely to go to _______________ or return to it than previous generations
college
Crystallized intelligence is the same as ______________
crystallized pragmatics
Which of the following factors contribute to the decline in fluid mechanics in late adulthood? Multiple select question. decreased wisdom decreases in working memory capacity declines in processing speed reduced inhibition
decreases in working memory capacity declines in processing speed reduced inhibition
Autobiographical memories are stored as ______________ memories
episodic
Younger adults have better _______________ memory than older adults. Older adults also believe they remember (more recent/older) memories better but this is not the case
episodic older
Older adults are most likely to see declines in ______, ________, and ________ memory
episodic, explicit, and working
What decreases risk of Alzheimers
estrogens, statins, NSAIDS, folate, Vitamin E and C, coffee
Wisdom
expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits excellent judgement about important matters *attained in late adolescence - early adulthood, rare, personality is a good predictor as well as life experience and consideration of others
Aging is linked with a decline in ____________ memory
explicit
Being less depressed in old age is due to
fewer economic hardships fewer negative social exchanges increased religiousness
Fluid intelligence is the same as ______________
fluid mechanics
Processing speed and ___________ status were most linked to longevity
health
Major depression
mood disorder in which the individual is deeply unhappy, demoralized, self-derogatory, and bored
Why the elderly tend to be better employees (3)
more satisfied with work take fewer sick days demonstrate stronger problem solving skills
A main issue older people complain about when it comes to speech is _______________ along with the TOT phenomenon
not being able to understand- maybe due to hearing loss
What 3 things are considered "magic bullets" that slow cognitive decline
nutritional supplements (omega 3 and ginkgo biloba), brain games, and software products
Fluid intelligence
our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
Theory of mind
people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.
What is the main reason people retire early
poor health
Amyloid plaques
protein that accumulates in the bl vessels
Source memory
recall of when, where, and how information was acquired -better source memory linked to healthy CV system and mental state
What 2 things improved episodic memory
sustained engagement and novel activities
Sustained attention (AKA: vigilance)
the ability to maintain attention to a selected stimulus for a prolonged period of time -older adults performed just as young adults would on simple tasks but not complex ones
Episodic memory
the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place *recalling past memories
Metacognition
thinking about thinking *helps to combat decline in memory skills
Age-related deficits in prospective memory occur more often in ______ tasks than in ______ tasks.
time based; event based *hard to remember time than it is to remember what it is you're supposed to be doing
Almost 80% of older adults do not receive ____________ for their depression
treatment antidepressants less effective ECT treatment more effective, exercise, religion
There has been an increase in people who are elderly and ___________, especially in women. This is due to
work needing more money for living expenses
Shrinkage of the prefrontal cortex causes a decline in _____________ memory
working
Reasons for early retirement
workplace pressures, financial security, poor physical and mental health