Session 6: Cognitive Aging

Normal Cognitive Aging: Represents the typical cognitive decline that occurs with age, presenting specific characteristics.
Symptoms of normal cognitive aging may include:
- Slower thinking and doing
- Hesitation before acting
- Difficulty in word retrieval, such as knowing a person but not their name
- Increased memory retrieval of past events

Normal Aging: Slower cognitive functions, which do not impede daily life significantly.
Non-Normal Aging: Involves pathological conditions like dementia, which severely impair cognitive function.

Age cannot be experimentally manipulated: Findings are correlational
Most studies utilize cross-sectional designs, causing complexities in differentiating between normal and pathological aging. Accurate separation is crucial for early dementia diagnosis, which leads to timely treatment and support.

After 60 is a relevant age, but further context indicates that subtle changes may start in earlier decades, such as the late 50s to early 60s.

Normal cognitive decline includes:
- Memory, particularly working memory
- Reasoning
- Attention
- Visual processing
- Reaction time/processing speed
Not indicative of cognitive decline:
- Inability to think in a functional manner, doing things effectively, or confusion regarding one’s mental clarity over time.

Gray Matter: Composed primarily of neuronal cell bodies, processing and storing knowledge. Linked to crystallized intelligence (e.g., vocabulary, general knowledge).
White Matter: Comprised of myelinated axons that promote efficient communication between brain regions. Associated with fluid intelligence (problem-solving, reasoning).

Aging impacts fluid intelligence markedly, influencing various cognitive abilities such as episodic memory, working memory, and processing speed.
Stable Cognitive Abilities in aging: Autobiographical memory, semantic knowledge, and emotional processing remain less affected.

Neuroplasticity: Refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and adapt through life.
Historically viewed as decreasing sharply after childhood; however, studies suggest ongoing adaptability into adulthood.
Findings by Maguire et al. suggest increased gray matter in taxi drivers, demonstrating capacity for neuroplasticity with skill acquisition.

Study 1 by Draganski et al. (2004):
- Participants: 24 adults aged 20-24 with no prior juggling experience.
- results showed increased gray matter in jugglers' mid-temporal cortex after mastering juggling.
Study 2 by Boyke et al. (2008):
- Participants aged 50-67 demonstrated neuroplastic changes related to juggling, replicating Draganski’s results.

Use It or Lose It Principle: Engaging in cognitive activities is essential to maintain and strengthen neural connections. Reduces decline effectively when practiced consistently.

Cognitive Reserve: The brain's capacity to compensate for aging or damage, highlighting how efficiently the brain networks solve problems.
Factors contributing to cognitive reserve include education, social interaction, and engagement in mentally stimulating activities.

Recommended interventions for building cognitive reserve include:
- Regular physical activity, especially sport-based.
- Healthy dietary choices.
- Engaging hobbies such as chess, music learning, or language acquisition.

Continuous engagement over months/years.
Activities should be mentally effortful, novel, progressively challenging, and socially interactive.
Encouraging flexibility and adaptation are essential characteristics.

Research: Multiple studies indicate video games improve cognitive aspects such as working memory, spatial awareness, and reaction time.
Action Games: Recommended for their potential to help aging as they develop skills in distraction control and attentional resources.
Example Games:
- 'NeuroRacer' improved older adults’ multitasking.
- 'Rise of Nations' enhanced visuo-spatial skills.
- 'Super Mario 64' increased hippocampal size, illustrating brain adaptability.