BCS172 Exam #2 - Old Age

Cognitive aging

Changes in cognitive abilities as we age, incl processing speed, reasoning, and memory

Patterns of aging: healthy young adult

Balanced activation and suppression of brain activity w/ intact cognition

Patterns of aging: loss of neural distinctiveness/differentiation

- Unorganized additional activation and suppression of brain regions/networks

- Cognitive decline

Patterns of aging: neural inefficiency

- Less suppression of brain activity

- Cognitive decline

Patterns of aging: neural compensation

Additional activation needed to minimize cognitive decline

Patterns of aging: brain maintenance

No changes in brain activity; cognition remains intact

Difficulties in studying cognitive functioning

- Very pronounced cohort effects

- Dropouts over time (esp if people aren't doing well)

- Aggregating data (e.g., mean change may mask interindividual differences)

Cognitive processing speed

How fast a person can complete mental operations necessary to complete a task

Cognitive processing speed used in...

- Visual search tasks

- Comparisons

- Figural reasoning

- Memory processes

- Exec functioning

Inhibition deficit

- Slowing down of cognitive processes due to increased difficulty with inhibition (attending to only to relevant info, tuning out distractions, etc.)

- Effects esp pronounced with complex tasks or in busy settings

Inhibition deficit: relevant factors

- Signal speed

- Changes in white matter

- Decreased myelination

Fluid intelligence

- Includes reasoning, working memory, and episodic memory -- "mechanic" functions

- Tied to specific neurobiological substrates (e.g., in the frontal lobe)

Crystallized intelligence

- Includes knowledge of "how the world works" + verbal ability -- "pragmatic" functions

- Influenced by one's culture + environment

Fluid intelligence over the lifespan

- Fluid abilities emerge in adolescence/early adulthood

- Age-related decline with age-related organic loss (e.g., frontal lobe)

Crystallized intelligence over the lifespan

- Crystallized abilities need more time (experience + accumulation of knowledge)

- Peaks later in life

- Not dependent on cognitive processes/speed --> more resilient as one ages

Memory and memory processes

- Active memory often declines more quickly than recognition of prev learned info

- Measurable differences in working memory efficiency

Episodic memory

LT storage of perceived stimuli (e.g., event, places, names)

Episodic memory: active recollection

- New items placed in LT storage

- Strong negative age effects

Episodic memory: recognition

- Recollection given prompts/cues

- Not nearly as affected as active recollection -- decline more gradual

Episodic memory and aging

- Aging significantly affects hippocampus functioning (particularly in Alzheimer's type dementia)

- Well-learned procedures and "automized" tasks, like playing cards, can be performed even if the individual is quite impaired otherwise

Executive functioning

Impairment in EF is a sign of possible pathology -- dementia or over-/improper medicated

Seattle Longitudinal Study

- 28 years of observation of cognitive functioning, particularly fluid abilities

- Researchers estimate loss of fluid functioning equivalent to about 1 standard deviation

Wisdom

- Rich, differentiated knowledge

- Procedural knowledge

- Lifespan contextualism

- Nondogmatic thinking

- Understanding life's uncertainties

Wisdom investigation paradigm

"A 14 y/o girl wants to move out of her parents' house right away. What should be considered in this situation?"

Wisdom investigation paradigm: low score

"She's only 14! She's too young to make such a big decision!"

Wisdom investigation paradigm: high score

Consider the situation from multiple angles/dimensions

Wisdom investigation paradigm: results

Age and score correlation was weak, suggesting that there isn't much of an age effect on wisdom

Cognitive aging/functioning across individuals

- Great heterogeneity in cognitive functioning across persons of the same age

- Remaining active cognitively --> brain plasticity + maintenance of function

Ways of maintaining cognitive capacities

- Challenge + stimulate your brain

- Continue learning

- Engage in physical activity

- Maintain cardio health

- Prioritize social engagement

- Prioritize sleep

- Protect your brain

- Limit alcohol

- Take care of mental health

Ways of maintaining cognitive capacities: Skinner's advice

- Set up opportunities to reinforce cognitive behavior

- Create stimulating environment

- Work fewer hours + give your brain a rest

- Aging should be viewed as a change in the physical and social environment

- Modify your behavior (e.g., notepad by the bedside)

Dementia

General term for the progressive decline in mental ability, including memory, thinking, and reasoning, that interferes with daily life

Dementia: Alzheimer's

Type of dementia characterized by plaques and tangles in the brain

Dementia progression: mild

Wandering, difficulty handling money, personality changes

Dementia progression: moderate

Failure to recognize family/friends, difficulty dressing, may have hallucinations, delusions, or paranoia

Dementia progression: severe

Cannot communicate, complete dependence

Rising dementia rates in US

Possibly due to longer lifespans