Comprehensive Guide to Aging, Brain Changes, and Intelligence in Older Adults

For exam

At what age is someone considered an 'older adult'?

Age 65

What are the three categories of older adulthood?

Young-old (65-74), Old-old (75-84), Oldest-old (85+)

What influence will the baby boom have on the aging population?

An increase in the number of older adults, with all boomers turning 65 by 2030.

What are the two models of aging discussed?

Selective Optimization with Compensation Model and Ecological Model of Aging.

What is the definition of geriatrics?

The branch of medicine specializing in the medical care and treatment of diseases/health problems of older adults.

What does gerontology study?

The biological, behavioral, and social phenomena from maturity to old age.

What is chronological age?

Measured in units of time (years).

How is biological age defined?

Where you stand compared to how long you are expected to live.

What does functional age refer to?

A person's competence in carrying out tasks, which can vary within the same individual.

What is psychological age?

How well a person adapts using cognitive, personal, and social skills.

What is social age?

Views about how individuals in a particular chronological age group should behave.

What is ageism?

Discriminatory attitudes and negative beliefs about older adults.

What are normative age-graded influences?

Biological or environmental events associated with chronological age, like puberty or marriage.

What are normative history-graded influences?

Influences associated with time, including societal evolution and significant historical events.

What are non-normative life events?

Events or experiences that do not happen to everyone or occur at an unusual time of life.

What is the Selective Optimization with Compensation Model of Aging?

A model where individuals adapt and compensate for changing conditions, focusing on maximizing quality of life.

What does the Ecological Model of Aging emphasize?

The interaction between a person and their environment, which results in adaptation and well-being.

What is the current life expectancy for men and women in Canada?

Men: 79 years, Women: 83 years.

What percentage of Victoria's population is 65+ according to the 2021 Census?

23.4%.

What is the expected number of seniors in Canada by 2036?

10 million seniors, or 24% of the population.

What is the significance of interindividual variability in aging?

It highlights the differences in aging experiences among individuals.

What is the relationship between gender and aging in Canada?

Females outnumber males, and married men are more common than married women.

What are the implications of studying aging and older adulthood?

Scientific insights into aging processes, personal understanding of one's own aging, and practical implications for occupations related to the older population.

What are some common negative views of aging?

Decline, death, loss of independence, memory problems, cognitive decline, and loneliness.

What are some positive aspects associated with aging?

Happiness, life satisfaction, kindness, and improvements in vocabulary.

What is a hypothesis?

A suggested explanation for an observed phenomenon or reasoned prediction.

What distinguishes a theory from a hypothesis?

A theory is a well-substantiated, unifying explanation for a set of verified hypotheses.

What is a metamodel?

An overarching framework that guides researchers on what to study and how to study it.

What does the Mechanistic Metamodel emphasize?

It emphasizes nurture, viewing the organism as passive and reacting to environmental forces.

What is the focus of the Organismic Metamodel?

It emphasizes nature, suggesting that development originates from within the organism.

What does the Contextual Metamodel consider?

It emphasizes both nature and nurture, focusing on the bidirectional interactions between the organism and environment.

What is the Life-Span Developmental Perspective?

It draws on all three metamodels, asserting that development occurs over the entire life span and is influenced by historical context.

What are the key factors in developmental research?

Chronological age, cohort, and time of measurement.

What is the difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs?

Cross-sectional compares different age groups at one point in time, while longitudinal follows the same cohort over time.

What is a cross-sectional research design?

A design where participants from different age groups are studied at the same time to measure age-related differences.

What are the limitations of longitudinal research design?

It cannot disentangle age and time of measurement factors, and may suffer from practice effects and selective attrition.

What is the Flanker Task used to measure?

It measures attention by assessing reaction times to incongruent versus congruent stimuli.

What does the term 'flanker effect' refer to?

The difference in reaction time between incongruent and congruent trials in attention tasks.

How does time of measurement affect older adults' cognitive performance?

Older adults typically perform better in cognitive tasks during the morning compared to the afternoon.

What is the significance of cohort in developmental research?

Cohorts consist of individuals born around the same time, sharing similar experiences that can affect research outcomes.

What is meant by 'development is plastic'?

It refers to the idea that individuals can change and learn throughout their development.

What does the term 'multidimensional' mean in the context of development?

It indicates that development involves multiple aspects such as physical, cognitive, and social changes.

What is the impact of historical context on development?

Development is influenced by the historical time and culture in which individuals grow up.

What are practice effects in longitudinal studies?

Improvements in performance due to participants becoming familiar with the tasks over time.

What is selective attrition in research?

The phenomenon where participants drop out of a study, potentially biasing the results.

What is the role of environmental stimulation in the Mechanistic Metamodel?

Creating a stimulating environment can help minimize cognitive decline in aging individuals.

What does the term 'intraindividual variability' refer to?

The concept that individuals can show variability in their development and learning over time.

What is the difference between age-related differences and age-related changes?

Age-related differences refer to variations between age groups, while age-related changes refer to how individuals develop over time.

What is the significance of time of day in cognitive testing for older adults?

Cognitive performance can vary based on the time of day, with older adults often performing better in the morning.

What is the main difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs?

Cross-sectional studies collect data at a single point in time, while longitudinal studies follow the same participants over an extended period.

What does time-lag research design focus on?

Time-lag research design examines participants of the same age across different time periods to study cohort effects.

What are the three types of sequential research designs?

Cohort-sequential, time-sequential, and cross-sequential designs.

What is internal reliability in measurement?

Internal reliability assesses whether different items on a test measure the same construct consistently.

What is test-retest reliability?

Test-retest reliability measures the consistency of a test over time by administering the same test to the same participants at different points.

What is inter-rater reliability?

Inter-rater reliability evaluates the degree to which different raters give consistent estimates of the same phenomenon.

What is the difference between internal and external validity?

Internal validity refers to the extent to which a study accurately identifies causal relationships, while external validity concerns the generalizability of findings to other populations.

What is ecological validity?

Ecological validity assesses whether research findings can be applied to real-world settings.

What is the purpose of random sampling in research?

Random sampling aims to create a representative sample from the population of interest, enhancing the study's external validity.

What is the experimental approach in research?

The experimental approach involves manipulating independent variables and randomly assigning participants to conditions to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

What distinguishes quasi-experimental research from experimental research?

Quasi-experimental research lacks random assignment to conditions, making it impossible to definitively establish cause-and-effect relationships.

What does the descriptive approach in research entail?

The descriptive approach analyzes relationships between variables without manipulating them, focusing on correlation rather than causation.

What is a multifactor design in research?

A multifactor design includes multiple categorical variables, allowing for the examination of interactions between different factors.

What is the meta-analytic approach?

The meta-analytic approach synthesizes summary statistics from various studies to draw broader conclusions.

What is the mega-analytic approach?

The mega-analytic approach combines raw data from multiple studies that have used identical measures to analyze results.

What ethical considerations must be addressed in research on human aging?

Research must be reviewed by an ethics board, require informed consent, ensure confidentiality, and allow participants to withdraw at any time.

What is life expectancy?

Life expectancy is the average number of years a cohort is expected to live, which can change over time due to various factors.

What is life span?

Life span refers to the maximum longevity or upper limit of time that members of a species can live.

What is cognitive reserve?

Cognitive reserve is the notion that some individuals can better cope with brain aging and damage due to their cognitive engagement and resources.

What are cohort effects?

Cohort effects are differences observed between groups of individuals born in different time periods, which can influence research outcomes.

What is the significance of the publication process in research?

The publication process evaluates the replicability and relevance of a study, which can be influenced by biases and external pressures.

What challenges can affect the reliability of scientific findings?

Challenges include difficulties in replication, biases in publication, and external pressures unrelated to research results.

What is the Rectangular Survival Curve?

It illustrates the compression of mortality, where a greater proportion of deaths occur during a narrow time period at the upper limit of human lifespan.

What does Compression of Morbidity refer to?

It refers to the concept that illness and disability occur only during a narrow time period immediately prior to death, allowing for a healthy life until death.

What is Primary Aging?

Primary aging is the unavoidable, universal, and intrinsic aging process that occurs naturally, such as skin wrinkling.

What is Secondary Aging?

Secondary aging refers to age-related changes influenced by extrinsic factors such as disease, disuse, and lifestyle choices, and is not experienced by everyone.

How can Primary Aging affect susceptibility to diseases?

Primary aging can render individuals more vulnerable to diseases associated with secondary aging, as it creates a natural decline in bodily functions.

What is the Time Clock Theory in biological aging?

It posits that the lifespan of a species is determined by a genetic blueprint or time clock at the cellular level, with telomeres losing length after each cell division.

What does the Immune Theory suggest about aging?

It suggests that the immune system is programmed to maintain efficiency for a limited time before becoming less effective, impacting lifespan.

What is the focus of Stochastic Theories of Biological Aging?

These theories focus on random damage to vital systems as a cause of aging, including error theory and wear and tear theory.

What does the Error Theory state?

It states that errors occur at the cellular level, leading to the production of faulty molecules, which can contribute to aging and diseases like cancer.

What is the Wear and Tear Theory?

It suggests that individuals begin life with a fixed amount of physiological energy, and excessive use can lead to earlier aging.

What role does stress play in aging according to the Stress Theory?

Prolonged exposure to stress hormones can hinder the body's ability to return to normal levels, increasing the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

What is the significance of the Nun Study in predicting longevity?

It is a longitudinal study that highlights the influence of genetics (nature) on longevity.

What lifestyle factors can maximize longevity?

Abstaining from smoking, maintaining healthy dietary habits, engaging in physical activity, receiving adequate medical care, and fostering social engagement.

What physical changes occur in the musculoskeletal system with aging?

There is a decrease in muscle mass and strength, loss of bone density, and an increase in the risk of osteoporosis.

How does aging affect cardiovascular functioning?

Aging leads to smaller lung volumes, less elasticity in arteries, increased blood pressure, and decreased reserve capacity.

What happens to brain weight as people age?

Brain weight peaks at ages 20-30 and then declines by about 10% by the 10th decade of life.

What structural changes occur in the brain with aging?

There is atrophy of dendrites, shrinkage in brain volume, and enlargement of ventricles, leading to less efficient communication between neurons.

What are White Matter Hyperintensities (WMHs)?

WMHs are abnormalities in white matter signals, often associated with aging, and can indicate a higher risk of stroke and dementia.

What does MRI provide in terms of brain imaging?

MRI provides both structural and functional information about the brain in vivo.

What is the relationship between cognitive ability and longevity?

Better cognitive ability is associated with better reaction times and can contribute to longer life expectancy.

What is the impact of emotional well-being on longevity?

Emotional well-being, assessed through diaries, has been linked to longer life expectancy and better brain health.

What is the role of dietary habits in maximizing longevity?

Dietary habits that lower fat and sugar intake while increasing fruits and vegetables can significantly contribute to longer life.

What is the Double Standard of Aging?

It refers to the perception that physical changes associated with aging are viewed more negatively in women than in men.

What is the significance of telomeres in aging?

Telomeres shorten with each cell division, limiting the number of times a cell can divide, which is linked to aging.

What is the primary difference between MRI and fMRI?

MRI provides a high-resolution static image, while fMRI captures many low-resolution dynamic images over time.

How does fMRI measure brain activity?

fMRI measures changes in blood flow, which correlates with neural activity, using the Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal.

What is the typical temporal resolution of fMRI?

fMRI has a low temporal resolution with a hemodynamic response peak occurring 5-10 seconds after neural activation.

What challenge does aging present to fMRI studies?

Aging can lead to vascular changes that delay the hemodynamic response, complicating the interpretation of fMRI data.

What is PASA in the context of cognitive aging?

PASA refers to the phenomenon where older adults show bilateral activation in the brain during cognitive tasks, indicating compensatory mechanisms.