Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which of the following is NOT a commonly observed effect of aging on sleep patterns?
Which of the following is NOT a commonly observed effect of aging on sleep patterns?
What is a common motor function decline associated with aging?
What is a common motor function decline associated with aging?
Which sensory change is NOT typically associated with aging?
Which sensory change is NOT typically associated with aging?
How does neuroplasticity relate to aging?
How does neuroplasticity relate to aging?
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What is an expected organ change associated with aging?
What is an expected organ change associated with aging?
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Which of the following is a consequence of diminished sexual activity in aging individuals?
Which of the following is a consequence of diminished sexual activity in aging individuals?
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What cognitive change is often seen with aging?
What cognitive change is often seen with aging?
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Which condition is NOT a consequence of impaired motor function due to aging?
Which condition is NOT a consequence of impaired motor function due to aging?
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What is primarily affected by sensory changes in older adults?
What is primarily affected by sensory changes in older adults?
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Which statement is true regarding information retrieval in older adults?
Which statement is true regarding information retrieval in older adults?
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What does anosognosia in dementia refer to?
What does anosognosia in dementia refer to?
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Which of the following best describes apraxia?
Which of the following best describes apraxia?
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How does latency in information processing change with age?
How does latency in information processing change with age?
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What is a primary difference between the MMSE and MoCA?
What is a primary difference between the MMSE and MoCA?
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Which factor is NOT a contributor to functional neurological disorders?
Which factor is NOT a contributor to functional neurological disorders?
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What communication technique is most effective when interacting with a person with dementia?
What communication technique is most effective when interacting with a person with dementia?
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What is one way in which neuroplasticity is described?
What is one way in which neuroplasticity is described?
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What is one of the impacts of brain atrophy as mentioned?
What is one of the impacts of brain atrophy as mentioned?
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How does decreased dendritic density affect synaptic function?
How does decreased dendritic density affect synaptic function?
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Which sensory change is attributed to aging?
Which sensory change is attributed to aging?
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What is a common effect of physical changes associated with aging?
What is a common effect of physical changes associated with aging?
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What effect does aging generally have on sleeping patterns?
What effect does aging generally have on sleeping patterns?
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What describes one of the effects related to sensory changes with age?
What describes one of the effects related to sensory changes with age?
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What is the result of slower synaptic transmission speed as one ages?
What is the result of slower synaptic transmission speed as one ages?
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Study Notes
Normal Physical Changes in the Brain
- The brain changes throughout life, including with age.
- Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adapt and change by forming new neural connections.
The Brain: Normal Physical Changes with Ageing
- Decreased density of dendrites leads to a loss of synaptic plasticity.
- Slower synaptic transmission speed results in increased reaction time.
- Loss of grey matter occurs with age, and is less prominent with higher education levels.
- Less sleep is associated with more brain atrophy.
- Brain atrophy, or shrinkage, results in decreased brain weight.
Normal Sensory Changes
- Vision: Diminished visual acuity and adaptability, atherosclerosis of blood vessels causes decreased blood flow to the eyes leading to a larger blind spot on the retina and reduced vision field.
- Common vision problems include presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
- Hearing: Degeneration of pathways to the brain, calcification of the middle ear, less responsive cochlear membranes, and more earwax production.
- Common hearing problems include presbycusis, difficulty with word discrimination, decreased ability to hear high-frequency sounds, and tinnitus.
- Taste: Seems to be the least affected sensory change, flavors may seem blander.
- Smell: Loss of sensitivity to odors, more prominent in men.
- Touch: Less responsiveness to cold and heat with distal loss greater than proximal loss.
Effects of Physical Changes
- General Slowing Down: Dendritic loss, decreased speed of nerve impulses, decreased knowledge retrieval, and decreased muscle elasticity.
- Impaired Motor Function: Decreased stamina, fine motor skills, dexterity, balance, postural control, and arthritis.
- Modified Sleeping Patterns: Frequent waking at night, decreased REM sleep, early morning awakening, and daytime napping.
- Modified Eating Patterns: Impaired satiety, rigid eating habits, decreased food intake, and malnutrition.
- Diminished Sexual Activity: Decreased testosterone levels in men, impotence, chronic pain affects sexual activity, and women experience hearing loss.
Aging and Health – Physical Changes
- Neurological/Sensory Changes: Decreased hearing, vision, taste, smell, touch, and reflexes.
- Circulation: Decreased energy and stamina, hypertension, cold sensitivity, forgetfulness, poor cognition, edema, susceptibility to transient ischemic attacks, pressure ulcers, and orthostatic hypotension.
- Organ Changes: Slower heart, less elastic lungs, kidney and liver issues, sexual organ changes, and skin changes.
- Bone and Muscle Changes: Weaker bones and muscles, stiff joints, decreased range of motion, flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, and incontinence.
Basics of Good Memory
- Cognition refers to acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, senses, and experience.
- Memory is the recall of learned information.
- Attention is the foundation for memory.
- Sensory, short-term (working) memory, and long-term memory are the types of memory.
Learning & Memory
- The information-processing model for how learning happens is through: sensory stimulus, response and transfer to working memory, and transfer to long-term memory (usually intentionally)
Learning, Memory, and Ageing
- Sensory changes can negatively affect learning, especially visual and auditory changes.
- Latency increases with age, meaning more time and effort are required for processing, information storage, and retrieval.
- Older adults have decreased free recall, but perform better at recognition tasks.
Functional Neurological Disorders
- Disruptions in normal life that manifest as physical problems, including anxiety, depression, and emotional upset.
- Incidence of functional neurological disorders rises in later life.
- Contributors include medication misuse, excessive alcohol consumption, and malnutrition.
- These disorders are treatable.
The 7 A’s of Dementia
- Anosognosia: Inability to perceive their illness.
- Amnesia: Partial or total loss of memory.
- Agnosia: Inability to interpret sensations.
- Aphasia: Loss of ability to understand or express speech.
- Apraxia: Inability to perform purposeful actions.
- Apathy: Indifference and lack of interest in the environment.
- Altered Perception: Misinterpretation of sensory perception.
Communicating with a Person with Dementia
- Remove distractions.
- Make eye contact.
- Use a relaxed tone and body language.
- Listen to words and body language.
- Allow more time to process.
- Show and talk.
- Encourage humor.
- Account for vision and hearing loss.
MMSE* vs. MoCA*
- MMSE (Mini Mental Status Exam) and MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) are screening tools for cognitive function.
Competence
- A person with cognitive impairment may lose the ability to understand their circumstances and make decisions.
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