65 years - death
How does your brain change as you age?
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Neurotransmitters are reduced
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Reaction time, talking, thinking,
walking slows
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Varies markedly by individuals
o Hypothalamus (memory)
& Prefrontal cortex
(planning, coordinating
thoughts)
• Shrink faster than other
areas
o Varies based on
• Education
• Good health
• Mental exercise
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Slows down people of
every age
o Older adults more
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Older adults need to
concentrate on one task
at a time
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Working memory
o Temporary storage of information for conscious use
o Reduced - Takes longer to perceive & process sensations
o Inhibits multitasking
o If older people can take their time and concentrate, working
memory seems as good as ever
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Long-term memory
o Emotional memories – endure
o Recognition
• At every age, recognition memory is better than recall
• Multiple choice vs. essay
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Memory, retrieval strategies, selective attention & problem
solving
o Become less effective
o Priming of memories helps
• Presenting memory triggers (word, smell, song, etc.)
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Normal decline in spatial orientation, reasoning, numerical
ability & word fluency
Influenced by Health
o Better predictor of cognition than age
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Influenced by training
o Training can improve any cognitive decline
Spatial orientation test
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How does the brain slow down?
What areas in the brain shrink the quickest?
o What can help reduce this shrinkage?
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What is the difference between working memory and longterm memory?
What is a better predictor of mental decline than age?
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Dementia
o Organic brain damage or disease
• Abnormal and pathological even in old age
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Delirium
o Loss of memory, often with hallucinations & irrational behavior
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Alzheimer disease
o Causes deterioration of memory and personality
o Most common cause of dementia
• Caused by a proliferation of plaques and tangles of proteins in the brain
o Many genes may be involved
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Vascular dementia
o Caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain
o Repeated infarcts (Obstructions of blood vessels in the brain)
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Frontal lobe dementia
o Personality changes
o Deterioration of frontal lobes & amygdala
• People become disinhibited, impulsive, emotionally indifferent
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Parkinson disease
o Does not always lead to dementia
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Lewy body dementia
o Caused by deposits of protein (Lewy bodies) in the neurons
o Motor movements and cognition effected
o Falling, fainting, loss of inhibition, inappropriate sexual urges
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Caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain
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Beginning
o Forgetful, personality changes
o Memory loss – eventually becomes dangerous
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Final stage
o Full-time care needed
o Identity and personality are lost
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What is considered dementia?
What is the most common cause of Alzheimer disease?
What is the most common cause of vascular dementia?
What are the effects of fontal lobe dementia?
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Regular exercise
o Reduces dementia by half
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Avoid pathogens causing dementia
Mad cow disease
o AIDS
o Syphilis
o
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Depression = Most common reversible
cause of dementia related symptoms
Lack of nutrients
o As bodies age they become less efficient at
digesting food and using its nutrients
o Better diet can help
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Polypharmacy
o Drug side effects can cause dementia
symptoms
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Erikson
o Integrity vs. despair
• Older people gain interest in
the arts, children
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Maslow
o Self-actualization
• Creative, philosophical &
spiritual understanding
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Examination of your life
Sharing your life with stories
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What pathogens can cause dementia?
What can be done to help reverse impairment?
What are the highest levels in Erikson’s and Maslow’s
theories that an older person can achieve?
What is the concept of a life review?