Understanding Aging and Its Impacts

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Questions and Answers

What is a key characteristic of Alzheimer's disease?

It is caused by environmental factors only.

It leads to memory loss and declines in thinking abilities. (correct)

It primarily affects young adults.

It is a reversible brain disorder.

What are neurofibrillary tangles primarily made of?

Lipids and carbohydrates

Beta-amyloid protein

Twisted tau protein fibers (correct)

Neuronal cell bodies

What do neuritic (senile) plaques interfere with?

Blood flow to the brain

The formation of new neurons

Communication between nerve cells (correct)

The integration of declarative memory

Which treatment option is currently effective for Alzheimer's disease?

Current treatments that slow down the decline Signup and view all the answers

What type of memory is associated with recalling previously acquired information?

Retrograde memory Signup and view all the answers

Which category of long-term memory includes facts and events?

Declarative memory Signup and view all the answers

What is a common characteristic of the drug development process for treating Alzheimer's?

Typically takes 10-15 years and costs $800 million Signup and view all the answers

Which memory task demonstrated differences between Alzheimer's patients and controls?

Word list learning and recall Signup and view all the answers

What is one characteristic that distinguishes normal aging from dementia?

Presence of cognitive weakness Signup and view all the answers

What is the estimated prevalence of Alzheimer's disease at age 85?

17% Signup and view all the answers

What is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) primarily characterized by?

Intact daily activities but memory issues Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a common cause of dementia?

Environmental toxins Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical rate of progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to dementia?

15-20% per year Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes dementia?

Acquired impairments affecting daily cognition Signup and view all the answers

What role does cognitive reserve play in relation to Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology?

It allows more efficient use of brain resources Signup and view all the answers

Which warning sign is typically associated with dementia?

Difficulty performing familiar tasks Signup and view all the answers

What defines procedural memory?

Learned through practice and preserved in amnesia Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary focus of the PMR study with patients suffering from dementia?

Reducing behavioral disturbances Signup and view all the answers

Which symptoms showed improvement for the PMR group in the study?

Anger outbursts and anxiety symptoms Signup and view all the answers

In Feinstein et al.'s study, what was observed in patients with severe amnesia after mood induction?

Emotional state persisted despite memory loss Signup and view all the answers

What was the duration for which the induced mood was measured in Feinstein et al.’s experiment?

10-15 minutes Signup and view all the answers

What brain structure is primarily linked to declarative memory, which is distinct from procedural memory?

Hippocampus Signup and view all the answers

What were the average characteristics of the spouses involved in the PMR study?

75 years old with 15 years of education Signup and view all the answers

Which factor was shown to be unnecessary for the sustained experience of emotion in patients with amnesia?

An intact hippocampus Signup and view all the answers

What age range is generally defined as ‘older adult’ in society?

Over 65 years Signup and view all the answers

Which population group is noted to be the fastest growing in terms of age demographics?

People over 85 Signup and view all the answers

What is commonly referred to as age-associated memory impairment?

Benign senescent forgetfulness Signup and view all the answers

According to the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory, older adults tend to focus on which type of material?

Positively-valenced material Signup and view all the answers

What unique dietary habit did Jeanne Calment, the oldest recorded person, maintain?

Consuming one kilo of chocolate weekly Signup and view all the answers

What is the projected percentage of the population defined as ‘old’ by 2030?

20% Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of cognitive function tends to slow down in normal aging?

Speed of processing information Signup and view all the answers

What factor significantly enhances learning and retention capabilities in older adults?

Collaborative social interaction Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Aging

Aging is defined by society as everyone over 65 years old.
In the US, 36 million people (12% of the population) are considered "old."
This population segment is on the rise, projected to be 20% of the population by 2030.
The population aged over 85 is growing at the fastest rate.
Women outnumber men in this age group, with a ratio of 3:2.
Jeanne Calment, who lived to be 122 years old, smoked from the age of 21 to 117, drank 2 glasses of port per week, and ate a kilo of chocolate per week. She also poured olive oil on her food and skin.
Cognitive changes in normal aging are mild, with a slower processing speed, and greater difficulty in recalling names and novel tasks.

Normal and Pathological Aging

Questions posed regarding aging:
- At what age is someone considered an "older adult"?
- What makes a person "old"?
- Is getting older viewed positively or negatively, and why?
- How are the speaker's grandparents aging? (Assess mood, concern, and evidence of dementia).

Old Age Statistics

Statistics provided on aging population.

Maximum Lifespan

Jeanne Calment's remarkable longevity and lifestyle details.

An Impressive Graph

Changes in the population pyramid from 1950 to 2010 and projections for 2050, showing demographic trends.
- Data is based on age and gender categories.

Iowa Older Adult Demographics

Demographics of older adults in Iowa, visualized on a US map.

Cognitive Changes in Normal Aging

Overall, age-related cognitive changes are mild.
Processing speed slows.
Novel tasks and name recall often become more challenging

The "Paradox of Aging"

Well-being trends increase with age.

Hartshorne & Germine (2015)

Cognitive abilities and performance across various categories (Arithmetic, Comprehension, Information, STM [Short Term Memory]: Family Pictures, Stories, Word Pairs, Vocabulary WM [Working Memory]: Letter-Number Sequencing) are measured in relation to age.

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (Carstensen & colleagues)

A motivational theory suggesting older adults adjust their emotional regulation in response to life constraints.
Older adults exhibit a bias towards positive material.

Positivity Bias: Emotional Memory (Denburg et al., 2003)

Study comparing recall of positive and negative information in younger and older adults.
- Younger and older adults recall positive and negative experiences.

This research found older adults perform comparably to younger adults on learning and memory tasks that require collaborative social interaction.

Barrier Task

Task description and associated images.

Example 1: Trial 1

Trial descriptions and images from the participant data.

Example 2: Trial 9

Trial descriptions and images from the participant data.

Demographic and cognitive characteristics of Younger and Older directors

Data table presenting demographic and cognitive characteristics of younger and older adults.

Normal Aging of the Brain

Increased age is a primary risk factor for dementia.
- Prevalence of dementia typically increases by 5% in each decade after 65.
"Normal" aging is associated with variable cognitive decline, atrophy, accumulation of Alzheimer-type pathology, and reduced cerebral blood flow.

Cognitive Reserve

Multiple studies suggest individuals with higher cognitive reserve may use brain resources more effectively in the presence of age-related pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Amnesic MCI is a transitional stage preceding Alzheimer's dementia.
Subjective and objective memory problems are present, but other cognitive functions and daily activities are usually intact.
MCI progresses to dementia at an approximate rate of 15-20% annually.
The cumulative rate of progressing to Alzheimer’s disease is approximately 80% by 6 years.

Theoretical Progression of MCI to AD (Petersen et al., 2001)

Graphical representation of the theoretical progression from MCI to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with respect to age versus function.

Dementia

Acquired impairments in multiple cognitive aspects (memory, language, problem-solving) are serious enough to impact daily activities.
Dementia encompasses multiple disease processes, with Alzheimer's contributing most cases.

Warning Signs of Dementia

Memory loss affecting normal activities
Excessive difficulty finding words
Trouble with familiar tasks
Getting lost in time or place
Mood, behavior, and/or personality changes
Poor judgment and decision making

Common Causes of Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular disease
Parkinson's disease
Pick's disease
Medication side effects
Depression
Alcohol/drugs
Brain tumors
Hydrocephalus

Young Onset vs. Late Onset Dementia (van der Flier & Scheltens, 2005)

Pie chart representing the distribution of dementia types based on onset age.

Alzheimer's Disease

An age-related, irreversible brain disorder.
Develops gradually, leading to memory loss, decline in thinking abilities, and personality changes.
These deficits result from the breakdown and death of brain cells.

Normal vs. Alzheimer's

Visual comparison of healthy neurons versus those with Alzheimer's disease, highlighting neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques.

Neurofibrillary Tangles

Twisted protein fibers (tau) are found within cells.
Causes abnormal neuronal functioning.

"Tombstone" Cells

Image of these cells.

Neuritic (senile) Plaques

Deposits of beta-amyloid protein that develop between cells.
Interrupts communication between cells which disrupts and causes cell death.

Brief Video

A brief video on a Patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Neuronal Death

Image comparison of a healthy brain to that of a patient with Alzheimer’s showing the differences and neuronal death.

Alzheimer's Disease Brain Scans

Visual comparison of normal brain scans versus brain scans of patients with Alzheimer's.

Treating Alzheimer's or any other Dementia

Current treatments slow, but do not halt, brain degeneration.
Effective treatment to prevent or reverse Alzheimer's disease has not been found.
Development of new pharmaceuticals usually takes 10-15 years at a cost of ~$800 million.

Forms of Long-Term Memory

Declarative memory: Facts and events e.g., repeating newspaper article
Anterograde memory: Forming new memories of new material
Retrograde memory: Recall of previously acquired memories
Procedural memory: Behavioral responses e.g., bike riding

Word List Learning and Recall in Alzheimer's Disease

Graph comparing word recall in people with Alzheimer's versus control participants, depicting performance across trials (e.g. 1st trial, 2nd trial).

Rotor Pursuit in Alzheimer's Disease

Graph comparing performance on a rotor pursuit task in individuals with Alzheimer's versus control participants across trials and delay times.

Rotor Pursuit

Description and image of the task materials.

Mirror Tracing

Description and image of the task materials.

Long-Term Memory

Chart representation of various aspects of long-term memory systems (declarative, procedural, priming) in different brain regions.

Procedural Memory

Memory involving a behavioral response, not conscious recall.
Acquired through repetition and practice; preserved in amnesia/Alzheimer's disease.
Based on different brain structures than declarative memory.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

PMR's use in addressing behavioral disturbances (e.g., anger, wandering, anxiety) in Alzheimer's patients.
Study methodology and results (i.e., improvements observed) are presented.

An Empirical Question

Question about whether mood persist when the memory inducing the mood is lost.
- A clinical trial designed to investigate this issue.

Timeline of the Experiment

Diagram illustrating the experimental timeline with 2 mood inductions.

Recollection of film clips and postfilm emotion ratings following the sadness induction.

Graph demonstrating the recall of sad film clips by individuals with amnesia.
- Also assesses sadness ratings and changes in these ratings before, after and during a period of memory functioning.

Recollection of film clips and postfilm emotion ratings following the amusement induction.

Graph demonstrating the recall of amusing film clips by individuals with amnesia. -Also assesses amusement ratings and changes in these ratings before, after and during a period of memory functioning.

Conclusions

Mood states (e.g., sadness, amusement) can endure beyond loss of declarative memory.
Normal declarative memory and intact hippocampus are not needed for emotion.
Study results have important clinical implications for how society treats patients with memory impairment.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of aging, societal definitions, and demographic trends of older adults. It also covers the differences between normal and pathological aging, including cognitive changes. Test your knowledge about the aging population and what it means to be 'old' in today's society.