PSY250: Old Age Physical

stereotype

a belief about an individual based on group membership; ageism and discrimination

patronizing speech

talking louder, with a higher pitch, or elongating sounds in order to speak to the elderly

elderspeak

using informal or familiar language when talking to an elder you don’t know; “sweetie” or “honey”

age-based double standard

different meaning of behavior based on a stereotype; ex. forgetting something means Alzheimer’s for an elderly person

stereotype threat

when fear of being judged based on a stereotype negatively influences performance

retirement

nearly 18% of the US population is over 65 and this number is expected to grow. There needs to be shifts in government funding since social programs funded by the payroll tax will shift from 3 workers/retiree to 2 workers/retiree by 2030

physical changes associated with aging

shortened telomeres, free radical, rate of living, 20% loss of strength by age 70, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis

osteoporosis

bones become more hollow and more porous with age, causing an increased likelihood of fractures, especially for women

osteoarthritis

protective cartilage in joints starts to deteriorate in the late 20s

sensory changes

presbyopia, presbycusis, and hearing loss

presbyopia

loss of vision, especially being able to see things close up

presbycusis

reduced sensitivity to high pitched tones

changes in the cardiovascular system

stiffening of the heart muscle, accumulation of fat deposits, increase in blood pressure

changes in the circulatory system

hardening of the arterial walls (calcification), 60% reduction in aerobic capacity

changes in the respiratory system

the maximum amount of air we take in with a single break decreases by 40% by age 85

changes in the immune system

more autoimmune disorders, takes longer to build up an immunity, more likely to develop chronic conditions

deteriorating glia

synapse construction, energy regulation, waste removal

neurofibrillary tangles

fibers in the axons of neurons become tangled together

amyloid plaques

damaged and dying neurons collect around a protein core, producing plaques

dopamine

motor and executive functioning

acetylcholine

memory

changes in the brain

white matter hyperintensities, changes in volume and density in the prefrontal cortex, the temporal lobe (hippocampus), and the cerebellum

executive functioning errors

changes in the brain cause selective attention, inhibition, and effortful processing

memory declines

changes in the brain causes declines in explicit memory (more than working memory), causing more tip of the tongue experiences or repetition of stories, more source memory errors, and greater vulnerability to misinformation

bilateral activation

older adults’ brains are less lateralized, which causes an increase in activity in the frontal lobe

plasticity

environment and experience cause neurons to make connections and enriched environments and exercise increase plasticity

emotional processing

there are no changes in the structure or function of the amygdala as we age

the positivity effect

older adults are more likely to notice positive stimuli, are motivated to derive emotional meaning from life, and maintain positivity

Alzheimer’s Disease

most common form of progressive, degenerative, and fatal dementia. 1 in 9 Americans (6.5 million) in the US have Alzheimer’s; thought to be caused by amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, low levels of acetylcholine, and more vacuoles