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