Podcast
Questions and Answers
What best describes ageing?
What best describes ageing?
- A gradual and continuous process that begins in early adulthood. (correct)
- An unpredictable series of events influenced by lifestyle choices.
- A reversible condition influenced by diet and exercise.
- A rapid and sudden process occurring in late adulthood.
What is a primary disadvantage of longitudinal studies?
What is a primary disadvantage of longitudinal studies?
- They can only be conducted on a small number of age groups.
- They yield results that are difficult to replicate.
- They risk participant dropout rates increasing over time. (correct)
- They require a large number of participants at one time.
Which statement is true regarding cross-sectional studies?
Which statement is true regarding cross-sectional studies?
- They require extensive resources to follow changes over time.
- They collect data from the same participants over an extended period.
- They efficiently gather data at a single time point across different age groups. (correct)
- They are particularly good at controlling for cohort effects.
What is a notable advantage of longitudinal studies?
What is a notable advantage of longitudinal studies?
What is a challenge associated with cross-sectional studies?
What is a challenge associated with cross-sectional studies?
Which aspect makes longitudinal studies potentially resource-intensive?
Which aspect makes longitudinal studies potentially resource-intensive?
What is a disadvantage of using cross-sectional studies in ageing research?
What is a disadvantage of using cross-sectional studies in ageing research?
Why might participant dropout rates be a concern specifically in longitudinal studies?
Why might participant dropout rates be a concern specifically in longitudinal studies?
What is a significant challenge in studying ageing according to the considerations mentioned?
What is a significant challenge in studying ageing according to the considerations mentioned?
Which design is useful in separating cohort effects from age effects?
Which design is useful in separating cohort effects from age effects?
What type of data is primarily collected in accelerated longitudinal designs?
What type of data is primarily collected in accelerated longitudinal designs?
What is a limitation of longitudinal studies in aging research?
What is a limitation of longitudinal studies in aging research?
Which statement accurately reflects the impact of life events on older individuals?
Which statement accurately reflects the impact of life events on older individuals?
What can be a non-psychological factor that impacts psychological outcomes in aging studies?
What can be a non-psychological factor that impacts psychological outcomes in aging studies?
In the context of ageing studies, what defines cohort effects?
In the context of ageing studies, what defines cohort effects?
Why is it important to consider economic and public health factors when studying aging?
Why is it important to consider economic and public health factors when studying aging?
What accounts for cognitive decline during normal ageing?
What accounts for cognitive decline during normal ageing?
Which pathological feature is associated with both ageing and dementia-causing diseases?
Which pathological feature is associated with both ageing and dementia-causing diseases?
What is oxidative stress primarily caused by?
What is oxidative stress primarily caused by?
What is a characteristic of the brain's response to ageing?
What is a characteristic of the brain's response to ageing?
How does systemic inflammation change with ageing?
How does systemic inflammation change with ageing?
What distinguishes the occurrence of beta amyloid plaques in ageing from that in Alzheimer's disease?
What distinguishes the occurrence of beta amyloid plaques in ageing from that in Alzheimer's disease?
What is neuroplasticity in the context of ageing?
What is neuroplasticity in the context of ageing?
What impact does oxidative stress have on the brain with age?
What impact does oxidative stress have on the brain with age?
What is the primary function of microglia upon activation?
What is the primary function of microglia upon activation?
Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with reward and motivation?
Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with reward and motivation?
Which neurotransmitter is identified as the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS?
Which neurotransmitter is identified as the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS?
What cognitive function does episodic memory primarily involve?
What cognitive function does episodic memory primarily involve?
Which age-related change is primarily attributed to cognition?
Which age-related change is primarily attributed to cognition?
How do changes in neurotransmitter systems relate to therapeutic targets for ageing?
How do changes in neurotransmitter systems relate to therapeutic targets for ageing?
What is a significant outcome of genetic research on human ageing?
What is a significant outcome of genetic research on human ageing?
What is cognitive or 'brain' training primarily aimed at achieving?
What is cognitive or 'brain' training primarily aimed at achieving?
Which method is used by tDCS to stimulate cortical targets?
Which method is used by tDCS to stimulate cortical targets?
What kind of physical activity is suggested to enhance cognitive function in older adults?
What kind of physical activity is suggested to enhance cognitive function in older adults?
What do older individuals generally show slower performance in compared to younger individuals?
What do older individuals generally show slower performance in compared to younger individuals?
What concept did Hasher and Zacks (1988) propose regarding aging?
What concept did Hasher and Zacks (1988) propose regarding aging?
Which of the following senses is reported to be the least understood in relation to aging?
Which of the following senses is reported to be the least understood in relation to aging?
What age-related change affects the auditory experience of older adults?
What age-related change affects the auditory experience of older adults?
Which of the following cognitive functions may benefit from neuromodulation techniques in older adults?
Which of the following cognitive functions may benefit from neuromodulation techniques in older adults?
What is a primary reason for the decline in attentional processes in older adults?
What is a primary reason for the decline in attentional processes in older adults?
Study Notes
Ageing: A Biological and Psychological Perspective
- Ageing is a gradual, continuous process beginning in early adulthood, characterized by natural and inevitable changes.
- Methodological considerations:
- Longitudinal studies are resource-intensive, but reduce cohort effects.
- Cross-sectional studies are efficient, but difficult to match age groups and may be influenced by cohort differences.
- Sequential designs combine longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches, offering advantages of both but are complex to plan.
- Accelerated longitudinal studies recruit a wide age range and follow each group for a few years, providing longitudinal data within a shorter time frame, but do not completely avoid cohort effects.
- Biological Basis of Ageing:
- Ageing involves changes in physical, biochemical, vascular, and psychological systems.
- MRI studies show decreases in both grey and white matter in the brain, impacting cognitive function.
- Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to adapt and modify its structure and function.
- Synaptic changes: Age-related cognitive decline involves dendritic alterations, including shrinkage, reduced branching, and loss of dendritic spines.
- Cellular and Physiological Changes:
- Beta-amyloid (Ab) plaques: Contribute to cell death and disruption in neuronal function, with a higher concentration in dementia-causing diseases like Alzheimer's.
- Neurofibrillary tangles: Associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
- Oxidative stress: Damage caused by free radicals. The brain is vulnerable to oxidative stress, increasing DNA damage and inhibiting repair processes.
- Inflammation: A persistent level of systemic inflammation, characterized by increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of microglia.
- Neurotransmitter Changes:
- Dopamine: Plays a neuromodulatory role in CNS functions, including executive function, motor control, motivation, and reward. Levels decline with age.
- Serotonin: Acts as both an inhibitory neurotransmitter and a hormone.
- Glutamate: Primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS. High glutamate levels contribute to neurotoxicity in neurodegenerative disorders.
- Ageing and Genetics:
- Duration of lifespan is, at least in part, genetically determined.
- Changes in Cognitive Systems:
- Memory: Ageing has a greater effect on episodic memory (memory for personal events) than other types.
- Strategies to Promote Healthy Cognitive Ageing:
- Cognitive training: Regular mental activities can maintain or improve cognitive abilities.
- Neuromodulation: Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (tDCS and rTMS) can improve cognitive function in older adults.
- Physical activity: Moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise preserves and enhances cognitive function.
- Attentional Control:
- Cue-based responses slow down with age.
- Sensory changes influence age-related attentional decline.
- Visual search tasks demonstrate slower performance in conjunction search (combining features) compared to feature-based search.
- Inhibition:
- Age-related decline in inhibition underlies differences in performance between older and younger adults.
- Sensory Changes with Age:
- Vision: Age-related changes in the eye and visual pathways in the brain lead to vision decline.
- Hearing: Similar to vision, age affects both the ear and brain, causing hearing loss.
- Touch: Least understood sense concerning age-related changes.
- Taste and Smell: Decline with age, impacting quality of life and health.
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Description
Explore the intricate processes of ageing from both biological and psychological perspectives. This quiz covers various methodological approaches to studying ageing, the biological changes that occur, and their impacts on cognitive function. Delve into the complexities of age-related studies and their findings.
