Normal Cognitive Ageing and Dementia Flashcards
What are dementia and cognitive impairment not part of?
They are not part of the normal aging process; they are diagnosable conditions.
Name what happens with normal cognitive aging.
- slower to think
- slower to do
- hesitates more
- more likely to “look before you leap”
- know the person not the name
- pause to find words
- reminded of the past.
What are NOT characteristics of normal cognitive aging, that people often think are?
- confused about past vs. now
- words can’t be retrieved, even later
- can’t place a person
- doesn’t think speech out at all
- can’t think the same
- can’t do like before
As we age there are _____________ to the _______.
Structural changes to the brain.
Name the structural changes to the the brain in healthy aging.
Loss of brain volume
Expansion of the ventricles
the pattern of brain change in aging is _________.
heterogeneous (diverse)
What happens to grey matter as we age?
The volume of grey matter declines.
When does grey matter volume begin to decrease?
After the age of 20.
Older people have greater decreases in _______ structures.
Cortical.
Where is atrophy most prominent?
The prefrontal cortex.
There are more moderate age-related changes in the _______ lobe. What does it involve and cause?
Temporal.
Involves decrease in hippocampus volume- memory issues expected.
________________ volume decreases are much greater than grey matter volume decreases (with increasing age).
White Matter
What does decreased parahippocampal white matter lead to?
Decreased communication with hippocampal structures- this may cause memory decline/impact how we access memory.
Where are the most marked age- related declines?
In the anterior white matter.
What does decline of anterior white matter cause?
deficits in executive function.
What may mediate age-related cognitive decline (eg. speed of processes)?
Loss of integrity of the central portion of the corpus callosum.
Name the 4 possible causes for normal cognitive aging.
- Accumulation of Beta-amyloids
- Morphological changes in neurons likely to contribute to the reduction of synaptic density (eg. dendrite length)
- A decrease in neuron size and the number of connections between them
- Neuronal Death
What are high levels of beta-amyloiad associated with?
- Decreased hippocampal volumes
- Episodic memory
What is cognition?
The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses.
What does cognition refer to?
- our information processing systems
- our stored knowledge
Name the 3 parts of cognition’s mission :)
- Analyse Sensation
- Use experience to guide behaviour
- Detect and remember irregularities in incoming sensory information
Cognitive change is a _______ process of aging.
Normal.
What concepts describe the patterns of cognitive change over our lifetimes?
Crystallised Intelligence
Fluid Intelligence
What is crystalised intelligence?
Skills, abilities and knowledge that are well practiced, overlearned and familiar.