Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
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Transcript Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Physical, Cognitive, & Mental
Health Issues in Later
Adulthood
Chapter 14
Demographics of Aging
1950-2030 rapid growth in number of
older adults (400% increase in those > 85: 1995-2050)
People > 65 will outnumber others
Developed and developing countries
Profound implications
Marketing, social/political power
Health care services (fewer younger
workers)
Diversity of Older Adults
Older women > older men
Old among ethnic minorities increasing
faster than European
Native American: 65% increase
Asian: 4x increase
Older adults fastest growing segment of
African Americans
Diversity of Older Adults
Older adults in future will be better
educated
Current: 1/2 > 65 have high school diploma,
10% college
2030: 8% high school, 75% college
Better educational opportunities
Greater need for education for occupation
Longevity
Average life expectancy: age at which 1/2
people borne in a given year die
Increases in US for 80 years
• Declines in infant-labor mortality, medical technology,
elimination of diseases
Useful life expectancy: free from debilitating
disease/impairment
Maximum life expectancy: oldest one can live
120 due to organ failure
Longevity
Genes & environment key for lifespan
Genes: provide disease resistance, slow aging
Environment: diseases, toxins, SES, lifestyle
Gender also key
Women outlive men by average of 7 years
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Men more susceptible to disease?
Women have 2 X chromosomes?
Men have higher BMR?
Women have higher brain-to-body weight ratio?
Women have lower testosterone?
Third-Fourth Age
Third Age: (young old - 60-80)
Longer, healthier lives
Cognitive, emotional reserves
High levels of well being
Mastery of later life
Fourth Age (oldest-old - > 80)
Losses in cognitive skills
Increases in negative effects of stress
High dementia rates (50% > 90)
Poor quality of life, death issues
Biological Theories of Aging
Wear & Tear: body wears out over time
Arthritis but not other aspects of aging
Cellular theories: focus on cell action
Division limitations (fetal tissue: 40-60, adult: 20)
Telomerase: enzyme key for cell replication that
declines after each division
Cancer cells may take control of telomerase
Free radicals: chemicals produced in cells
produce cumulative damage to cells
Biological Theories of Aging
Metabolic theories: higher BMR faster
aging
Restricted caloric intake linked w/ longer life
Programmed cell death
DNA of cells ‘tell’ them to die at some point
Physiological Changes
Neurons
Neurofibrillary tangles (axons twist)
Dendrites may shrivel up & die
Neuritic plaques (dying neurons around protein core)
Cardiovascular (normative but rate impacted by lifestyle)
Fat deposits in/around heart (begins early)
Arterial stiffening
Increased risk for heart attack, strokes
Physiological Changes
Max air from one breath drops 40% (25-85)
Stiffening of ribs and air passages
Destruction of air sacs in lungs
Parkinson’s Disease
Motor dysfunction, tics
Caused by deterioration of dopaminergic neuronal
systems
Treated with L-Dopa (raises functional levels of Dop)
Physiological Changes
Sensory Changes (vision)
Reduced amount of light passing through
eye
Need more light, night vision poor
Increased glare sensitivity, reduced adaption
Lens becomes more yellow impairing color
vision
Accomodation reduces
Macular degeneration: retinal cells die (1/5 >
75)
Physiological Changes
Sensory Changes (hearing)
Hearing loss common
Cumulative or acute noise exposure
Reduced sensitivity to high pitches (prebycusis)
• 50% in late 70s
• Caused by damage to inner ear
Social, emotional implications
Many types of hearing aids available
Sensory Changes (vision)
Sensory changes (assorted)
Taste, touch, pain remain
Smell declines > 70
Balance impaired
Health Issues
Sleep often disrupted
2x as long to fall asleep, sleep less/night and
feel worse after poor sleep
Cancer
Risk dramatically increases with age
Screening critical
Information Processing
Attention
Selective attention: focus & filter irrelevant
Declines with age
Vigilance: attentional maintenance
Link with age unclear
Attentional control: divided, switching
Link with age unclear
Information Processing
Psychomotor speed (reaction time)
Declines with age
Acute with ambiguous information
Decline reduced with practice
Memory
Working memory: (holding, computational processes)
Declines with age
Older adults poor on episodic not semantic
Creativity
Ability to produce work that is novel, high
in demand and task appropriate
Increases through 20s, plateaus in 30s,
declines after
Most important contributions to science
made by younger scientists
Old work with young
Wisdom
Ability to solve difficult real world problems
Post-formal thinking
Deals w/ important/difficult issues of human
condition
Superior cognitive processes
Knowledge with scope, depth, balance
Well intended and combines mind & virtue
Wisdom
Wise people
Experts in basic issues of life
Know how to conduct life, how to interpret
events and what life means
No link with age
Do link emotion, thought and behavior in
solving a problem
Empathic and compassionate
Wisdom
Factors leading to wisdom
Intelligence
Fluid, crystallized, social
Personality
Creativity
Openness
Growth
Life experience
Depression
Rate declines with age
Diagnosed same way as w/ younger
Cluster of symptoms w/ 2 week duration
criterion
Sadness, feeling helpless, tired & physical
changes (e.g., appetite changes)
Rule out other causes (e.g., physical health)
Depression
Causes
Biological deficiencies (neurotransmitters)
Drugs that impact NT systems are effective
Psychosocial
Negative life events, stress, helplessness
Treatment
Medications
Psychotherapy (behavior & cognitive)
Anxiety Disorders
Feelings of anxiety for no reason
Phobias
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Common in older adults (10% of older women)
Treated with medication, theraoy
Alzheimer’s Disease
Gradual declines in cognitive functioning
Problems w/ memory, communication
Changes in personality, behavior
Confusion & paranoia common
May not recognize relatives, friends or
themselves
Rate varies but faster w/ early onset
Alzheimer’s Disease
Diagnosis
Long process beginning with progressive
change in cognitive functioning
Thorough physical examination and many
tests (brain scans) are needed
Causes
Genetic cell death, dysfunction
(neurofibrillary tangles)