PSY200 - CH14

The compression of morbidity is:

...a goal to achieve.

For humans, the maximum life span is approximately __________ years.

122

dependency ratio

A calculation of the number of self-sufficient, productive adults compared with the number of dependents (children and the elderly) in a given population.

Parkinson disease

A chronic, progressive disease that is characterized by muscle tremor and rigidity and sometimes dementia; caused by reduced dopamine production in the brain.

elderspeak

A condescending way of speaking to older adults that resembles baby talk, with simple and short sentences, exaggerated emphasis, repetition, and a slower rate and a higher pitch than used in normal speech.

Lewy body dementia

A form of dementia characterized by an increase in Lewy body cells in the brain. Symptoms include visual hallucinations, momentary loss of attention, falling, and fainting.

vascular dementia (VaD)

A form of dementia characterized by sporadic, and progressive, loss of intellectual functioning caused by repeated infarcts, or temporary obstructions of blood vessels, which prevent sufficient blood from reaching the brain. (Also called multi-infarct dementia.)

ageism

A prejudice whereby people are categorized and judged solely on the basis of their chronological age.

genetic clock

A purported mechanism in the DNA of cells that regulates the aging process by triggering hormonal changes and controlling cellular reproduction and repair.

demographic shift

A shift in the proportions of the populations of various ages.

compression of morbidity

A shortening of the time a person spends ill or infirm, accomplished by postponing illness.

delirium

A temporary loss of memory, often accompanied by hallucinations, terror, grandiosity, and irrational behavior.

Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)

A test that is used to measure cognitive ability, especially in late adulthood.

wear and tear

A view of aging as a process by which the human body wears out because of the passage of time and exposure to environmental stressors.

life review

An examination of one's own role in the history of human life, engaged in by many elderly people.

frontal lobe dementia

Deterioration of the amygdala and frontal lobes that may be the cause of 15 percent of all dementias. (Also called frontotemporal lobar degeneration.)

oldest-old

Elderly adults (generally, those older than 85) who are dependent on others for almost everything, requiring supportive services such as nursing homes and hospital stays.

osteoporosis

Fragile bones that result from primary aging, which makes bones more porous, especially if a person is at genetic risk.

A person may be suffering from _____ if he is experiencing emotional and personality changes.

Frontal lobe dementia

young-old

Healthy, vigorous, financially secure older adults (generally, those aged 60 to 75) who are well integrated into the lives of their families and communities.

The genetic disease in which children stop growing around age five and begin to look old, with wrinkled skin and balding heads, is called:

Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome

dementia

Irreversible loss of intellectual functioning caused by organic brain damage or disease. Dementia becomes more common with age, but it is abnormal and pathological even in the very old.

Which country has the highest percentage of people over age 65?

Japan

old-old

Older adults (generally, those older than 75) who suffer from physical, mental, or social deficits.

polypharmacy

Refers to a situation in which elderly people are prescribed several medications. The various side effects and interactions of those medications can result in dementia symptoms.

self-actualization

The final stage in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, characterized by aesthetic, creative, philosophical, and spiritual understanding.

ecological validity

The idea that cognition should be measured in settings that are as realistic as possible and that the abilities measured should be those needed in real life.

Alzheimer disease (AD)

The most common cause of dementia, characterized by gradual deterioration of memory and personality and marked by the formation of plaques of beta-amyloid protein and tangles of tau in the brain. (Sometimes called senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.)

Hayflick limit

The number of times a human cell is capable of dividing into two new cells. The limit for most human cells is approximately 50 divisions, an indication that the life span is limited by our genetic program.

average life expectancy

The number of years the average newborn in a particular population group is likely to live.

maximum life span

The oldest possible age that members of a species can live under ideal circumstances. For humans, that age is approximately 122 years.

control processes

The part of the information-processing system that regulates the analysis and flow of information. Memory and retrieval strategies, selective attention, and rules or strategies for problem solving are all useful control processes.

calorie restriction

The practice of limiting dietary energy intake (while consuming sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients) for the purpose of improving health and slowing down the aging process.

secondary aging

The specific physical illnesses or conditions that become more common with aging but are caused by health habits, genes, and other influences that vary from person to person.

primary aging

The universal and irreversible physical changes that occur in all living creatures as they grow older.

cellular aging

The ways in which molecules and cells are affected by age. Many theories aim to explain how and why aging causes cells to deteriorate.

Hayflick believes that aging is inevitable because of:

a natural process built into DNA

Compression of morbidity refers to:

a shortening of the time spent in illness before death.

Excessive amounts of beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain:

block neurons from being able to communicate initially in the hippocampus.

By age 90, the average man and half of all women are almost:

deaf

The idea that ability should be measured in everyday tasks and circumstances is known as:

ecological validity

A common type of difficulty that older adults have with their working memory is:

not being able to multitask

Older adults, generally over age 75, who suffer from physical, mental, or social deficits are categorized as:

old-old

The universal and irreversible physical changes that occur to all living creatures as they grow older is referred to as:

primary aging

Fewer births and increased survival rates are changing the shape of the population from a pyramid to a...

rectangle

Adult cognitive abilities begin to decline around age 60, and there is a particularly notable decline in:

spatial perception and processing speed.

Alzheimer disease is characterized by:

the proliferation of plaques and tangles in the cerebral cortex.

Research on late-adulthood cognitive decline has led scientists...

to differ on exactly when cognition starts to decline.

Blockage of a blood vessel in the brain that keeps sufficient oxygen from getting into the brain tissue is a result of:

transient ischemic attacks.

What is NOT a possible problem with laboratory research on cognition of the elderly?

using a familiar setting and memory cues