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This information isn't directly related to my field of interest, which is law and public policy, but there is some overlap I can think of--I can be better informed when discussing policies involving elder care, the minimization of elder abuse, or the pathology of neurodegenerative conditions. Healthcare (or more accurately, the access to it) has been a consistent fight in this country, and we need informed policymakers to advocate for the positions supported by reliable evidence. The real place I see this impacting my life is with my family--I've already lost one family member to dementia and I've had another go through surgery for a neurological failure involving cerebrospinal fluid. I was too young in both of those cases to understand or to care about the specific details of the condition that my loved one was suffering from, nor if there was any way of recognizing and treating it early. Now I'm older, and I want to be prepared for the eventuality that (god forbid) another family member goes through similar. I want to be a point of reassurance and help for the affected individual, lending my knowledge wherever possible to explain recognition and prevention and treatment strategies in a way they could understand. My experiences with family and neurological conditions has taught me that it's always better for the affected individual to feel like they're aware and in control of the details of their condition.

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If I sat here detailing every piece of information that I learned from this course, I'd be writing for days. So I'm instead electing to focus on a few key points of fascination from various modules. One topic which captivated me almost immediately was the distinction between dementia and delirium, most likely because I know someone who exhibited symptoms of both before he passed away a few years ago. Dementia begins with minor symptoms which gradually worsen while delirium occurs within a short time; dementia does not significantly impair alertness or attention while delirium does; and dementia symptoms don't fluctuate tremendously throughout the day, while delirium symptoms do. Another topic which caught my eye was chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the condition which primarily affects athletes (particularly football players) and the military who've taken repeated blows to the head. I was fascinated to learn that symptoms usually emerge only a decade after the head injury itself, making the pinpointing of a cause nearly impossible. And I was surprised to learn that depression and motor disorders were symptoms of this condition--I wouldn't have guessed that those pathways would be affected. One final topic which interested me was the usage of dance as a non-pharmacological intervention for Parkinson's. I didn't expect it to be so effective in helping individuals maintain their functional independence or their quality of life, especially in the moderate phase of the disease.

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Prior to taking this course, I knew a few of the distinctions between cognitive aging and Alzheimer's Disease. The latter is chronic and neurodegenerative--it results in extensive neuron loss, affects nearly 10% of older Americans, and is characterized by severe and progressive declines. The former, on the other hand, is a natural part of aging that occurs in everyone to different degrees; neuronal quantity remains stable but function might decline, while changes are variable and gradual. I knew that cognitive health is far more than simply memory processes--attention, decision-making, and problem-solving all play an important role. I knew that aging doesn't necessarily come with all downsides: wisdom and experience can increase with age, older adults experience fewer negative emotions, and they report the greatest satisfaction with life of any age group. I knew there were methods for preventing cognitive decline, especially considering that neuron death is minimal in the absence of disease, but I wasn't aware of any specific details of the prevention/treatment--outside of activities which improve general well-being, such as exercise or healthy foods.

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This information can be valuable regardless of whether we go on to be a practicing geriatrician or not. There is an increasing older population meaning these issues will be more prominent then ever. The material we learned can help us as we have loved ones who are aging and as we are aging ourselves.

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I learned quite a bit in this course about how aging affects cognition. We learned about the physical and cognitive changes that are associated with normal aging and differentiated this from what is considered not normal. We learned about 4 common neurodegenerative diseases; Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy Bodies. We also learned about other common medical conditions like Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury and cancer. Furthermore we learned about potential interventions for these and the interaction of mental health, psychosocial and lifestyle factors with them.

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Prior to this course I had really only a rudimentary understanding of the aging process. I knew that the risk for things like cancer and neurocognitive disorders rose with age but I wasn't sure of the actual prevalence. Furthermore I didn't the full range of diseases that the umbrella term dementia can stand for. I didn't understand that it can apply to a wide variety of diseases that are caused by a range of things. Instead I was simply of the understanding that dementia was general neurodegeneration that followed a similar pattern across the board.

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I now have more of an appreciation for what those who go through cognitive declines rather that just toss them to the side. I think that the elderly have a vast amount of knowledge to give before they go and just because can not function as efficiently as they did in their youth they still should be treated with respect.

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I know understand that cognitive aging goes beyond just memory, I see know that it can cause a change in personality, biological changes and it also affects the persons overall well being. I also see now that the elderly are being mistreated and that their decline in cognition has not been taken as seriously as it should.

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Before taking this course the extent of my knowledge about cognitive aging consisted of strictly a decline in memory and motor function.

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As for right now I am only pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology so I am still unsure of the career route I want to go with. However, this course will help if I am working with an older adult and I see a change in their behavior I may be able to identify what is going on and find a solution that will work best for them. After learning the signs of a stroke, I feel as though I will be able to tell if someone is showing signs and I might be able to help them as much as I can.

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After taking this course, my knowledge of cognitive aging was greatly expanded. Normally when we think about an older adult with Alzheimer's we think of the diminishing memory, things we can see on the outside, but we don't see what's going on inside the brain. With Alzheimer's or any other forms of dementia, the brains of those who have a form of dementia, slowly begin to deteriorate over time. It is also important to make sure those who are suffering from a cognitive disease or disorder are getting the proper care they need and have a good support system, from doctors or from their families.

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Before I took this course, I did know a little bit about cognitive aging. I had previously taken a biological psychology course that gave me a bit of an introduction to cognitive aging. I mostly learned the basics because we did not go too in depth. I previously learned what can cause Alzheimer's and what happens to athletes after they've taken too many hits to the head.

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After I graduate, I am planning on pursing my Psy.D in clinical neuropsychology. I actually want to help treat cognitive disorders in a range of patients, and by having this knowledge under my skill set, I will be able to expand my range. I was also inspired to bring more awareness to dementia in older adults after taking this course. Some of the information in this course, like the prevalence of depression in older adults, made me want to help this certain population. Now that I have taken this class, I can use the knowledge to help others!

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After I graduate, I am planning on pursing my Psy.D in clinical neuropsychology. I actually want to help treat cognitive disorders in a range of patients, and by having this knowledge under my skill set, I will be able to expand my range. I was also inspired to bring more awareness to dementia in older adults after taking this course. Some of the information in this course, like the prevalence of depression in older adults, made me want to help this certain population. Now that I have taken this class, I can use the knowledge to help others!

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After taking this course, I was able to further my skill set concerning cognitive aging. Not only did I learn about the physical abnormalities behind certain dementias, but I also learned about the emotional impact. I also was able to learn certain risk factors that would help me diagnose a patient more accurately. This course also taught me ways to solve these issues, like preventative measures for vascular dementia, or ways to improve quality of life of patients with cognitive disorders. The abnormalities that I thought were a normal part of aging were actual not normal and this shocked me. Overall, I am now more experienced and confident in my knowledge concerning cognitive aging. 

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After taking this course, I was able to further my skill set concerning cognitive aging. Not only did I learn about the physical abnormalities behind certain dementias, but I also learned about the emotional impact. I also was able to learn certain risk factors that would help me diagnose a patient more accurately. This course also taught me ways to solve these issues, like preventative measures for vascular dementia, or ways to improve quality of life of patients with cognitive disorders. The abnormalities that I thought were a normal part of aging were actual not normal and this shocked me. Overall, I am now more experienced and confident in my knowledge concerning cognitive aging. 

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I mentioned this in some of my other assignments, but unfortunately, my husband's family has a history of Alzheimer's. My husband's maternal grandpa suffered from Alzheimer's in his last five or so years, and it was extremely painful for my husband's family. As many positive memories have come-up in family conversations, there are just as many sad memories from his last few years that deeply impacted the family. Learning the increased likeliness of my husband having this disease or my sons having this disease is really scary to me, but I feel much better prepared to recognize symptoms and participate in activities that can combat the disease's progression.

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After taking this course, I learned that there is such a thing as healthy and normal cognitive aging that does not include such dramatic "fading," and that there are everyday methods to prevent unnatural and negative occurrences of the aging process. I was really moved by the impact of music therapy on dementia patients and I was very happy to see how often music appeared in our modules. It is so heartwarming to see how happy the patients got when they recognized a song, and it almost seems like a sixth sense because they were so heavily affected by the memory. I added another video I found really interesting that built upon music therapy. Hope you all enjoy!

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Healing Power of Personalized Music Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

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Before this course, I really did not know anything (at least comparatively) about cognitive aging. I always thought of the human body and brain going through a circle of life: being born and knowing nothing, learning everything, and then everything you learn fading into nothing. (This sounds really depressing as I read it to myself - sorry about that.) I thought that dementia was a natural occurrence, to a certain degree, and that it was normal for elderly people to eventually become delusional and forget major events.

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I will apply much of the knowledge that I learned in this course in order to help myself and loved ones. I see that prevention now is so important and to have a healthy lifestyle physically and mentally can really help. Stress is a large factor that I learned is vital to take control of and maintain. I have suffered from a couple concussions so doing what I can to help lower my risk of possible cognitive aging diseases is very important to me to prevent. Thinking about my grandparents and parents putting proper patient care in front of them is now brought to my attention and has made me more aware.

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Since the start of this course, I feel as though my grasp of cognitive aging has vastly been expanded and I learned much information in the span of five weeks. For starters we covered many broader subjects like traumatic brain injuries, cancer, drinking and smoking, sleep etc. That can largely play into most neurodegenerative diseases. We covered how important family history, stress, lifestyle and the importance of health in order to aid in preventing some of the onset of these diseases. Many things I had zero knowledge about was how much importance the geriatric side and patient care have to play into cognitive aging. Many of the biological factors and some neurological factors I was also not fully aware of and this course helped as well.

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Prior to taking this course my knowledge about cognitive aging was pretty minor. I had knowledge about dementia, Parkinsons and Alzheimer's purely based that they were cognitive diseases that mainly effect older age groups progressively. I had pretty basic knowledge of symptoms and the onset, decline and that no cure has been found. Ive had a couple family friends that have been diagnosed and the impact to memory and daily functions was immense and sad. That is all I basically knew about cognitive again before this course.

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My main take away from this course is how beneficial living a healthy lifestyle truly is. Every one of the forms of dementias or neurological disorders discussed could be helped and potentially prevented by switching to a healthy diet and getting adequate physical exercise. We also discussed the importance of sleep in this course and how quality sleep can lead to cognitive decline or potentially improve cognitive impairments. Going forward, I will take better care of my body, knowing how I treat it now will most definitely effect me further down in life. I will be sure to educate my older loved ones on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, mental stimulation, and staying social as often as possible. I will also ensure that I always check in on the elders in my life and let them know they still have a purpose and someone to listen.

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Over the past 5 weeks, I have learned all that comes with cognitive aging. Although it is not normal in aging, cognitive aging comes with risks of developing dementias and other neurological disorders. Throughout this course I have learned about neurological disorders I was previously uneducated about- including dementia with Lewy bodies and vascular dementia. Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia and is due to a stroke or blockage or a blood vessel that therefore results in blockade of blood flow to the brain. I also learned about treatment options- pharmaceutical and non pharmaceutical- and all the ways researchers are working to advance these treatments. New treatments like music for dementia patients and dance for Parkinson’s patients were particularly interesting to me.

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Before taking this course, I knew very little about the biological mechanics behind aging. I was aware of the behavioral side and the effect that it can have on loved ones. I knew that dementia and other neurological disorders have a slow and gradual onset and I was aware of the basic symptoms of age related decline in cognition- such as memory and learning impairments. Growing up, my best friend’s stepmother had early onset Alzheimer’s and I saw the hardship and troubles that they went through as a family. I saw first hand how the symptoms are mild and almost unnoticeable at first but over the course of 3 years it worsened to the point where she was admitted to a long term care facility. It is still a major stressor for her family.

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How Will I Apply All this New Information

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How Will I Apply All this New Information

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Personally, this information will help me enormously with the care of my parents in the future, and even to be able to help my parents with the care of their parents in the near future. This course has lit a fire in myself that has a lot to say about the improper care that these elderly patients are receiving today. The knowledge I have accumulated in this course has helped me to understand and know more about how to properly assess, diagnose, and care for these elderly patients in a world full of misconceptions. I have already helped a close family friend of mine who has a grandmother recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and it not only makes me feel better, but it makes the family feel better knowing that they are getting accurate, proper information and treatment options for their loved one. As for my own personal cognitive aging, I will take the notes I have taken in this course with me throughout my life to pass on to whoever is caring for me in the future. I now know that loss of memory is not normal with aging and I will be well aware of any and all symptoms before they even occur.

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I could create an entire book full of all the things that I learned while taking this course, which I am ever so grateful for, but here are a few that really stood out to me. Before this course, I just assumed that delirium was the same as dementia, but that could not be further from the truth. Delirium can occur for a day, a week, a month, etc. but the individual can still come back from their state of delirium. I learned the right precautions to take when dealing with a patient in a state of delirium to keep them from getting agitated and uncontrollable. I think the most interesting topics that I learned were regarding the anatomy and physiology of what really goes on in the brain and body when someone experiences dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc. To learn and accumulate knowledge about what parts of the brain are being effected, what tangles are and how they effect an Alzheimer's patient, how neurotransmitters are effected in a PD patient, really help me to understand how to help and properly care for the different patients with different diagnoses; it helps to know the difference in the brain matter to accurately assess the patient, diagnosis, and treatment options.

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To be completely honest, I knew much of the basics of cognitive impairment, for example like the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's Disease, but I never really took the time to go in-depth and really understand how these diseases are brought to light in the individual. I have had my personal experienced with cognitive aging in my grandparents and friends' grandparents, but my major area of knowledge used to lie in the mental illness category regarding to depression and those types of illnesses that come with the aging process (more personally than anatomically, in my opinion). I am very happy I enrolled in this course for I have learned way more than I ever expected which is phenomenal. I feel a lot more confident in discussing these topics with people and feel ready to intellectually bring up conversations and possibly even controversial questions with my peers and colleagues.

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Prior to taking this course, my knowledge on cognitive aging was very limited. I had some background knowledge on what areas of the brain are affected by certain dementias like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. However, I never considered the social impact of the disease of the patient's friends and family. I also used to think that forgetfulness and inability to remember events was a normal part of aging. With cognitive aging, I only considered it to consist of dementia, and not anything else, like mood disorders and addictions.

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I was really excited to be able to gain more knowledge on aging and memory related disorders and diseases because I have family members who are experiencing some of the things we learned about. I will definitely be using the information I learned in this course to better understand my family members and help them. Specifically, it was really beneficial for me to learn about the PACE program which helps families aid their loved ones in aging in place. I was happy to learn that there was a program near me and think it is something my family could definitely look into down the road.

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I felt like this course provided me with in-depth knowledge about specific diseases related to aging and more importantly memory. I think geriatrics is going to be a huge domain considering our population will trend older in the coming years. I learned a lot about the different risk factors for cognitive disease and decline and also about the symptoms and treatments. Additionally, I learned a lot more about how elders experience these diseases in aging and how it affect their lives and those around them. I really liked that all the modules included educational videos and supplementary articles, especially case studies, that show how the diseases and disorders we learned about directly impact those invovled.

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Before this course I had taken classes in both aging and caretaking. I had learned a bit about diseases in aging and the experience of aging but nothing super in depth. Specifically, I have learned a lot about the spiritual side of aging and end of life struggles. In terms of caretaking, I had learned about caretaker stress and things like hospice and chaplains. I had known how society, specifically in the US, has not prioritized elder care and the negative impacts this has on the aging population.

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This course has not only left me thinking of things that apply to my own life and aging families, but has also opened my mind up to other potential career areas. gerontology and aging is very interesting especially in combination with neuroscience an cognitive science. This course has inspired me to find ways to contribute to the well of knowledge surrounding cognitive aging where that be in research and sparking interest in things like substance and cognitive aging, or specified studies in PD or alzhimers dementia to sleep disorders, ways to just help with cognitive aging to creating ways to give peace, and purpose to those in care facilities due to issues in cognition as they age and implementing person centered care and other programs that would benefit them while everything is essentially declining.

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Now, I am able to differentiate certain NCDs based on symptoms and causes. I have more focused and specific knowledge on these neurocognitive diseases and impairments, their implications, cures, treatments and best courses of action. I also learned some of the administrative side of things like care plans, options and the implications of using those like depression, helplessness, the need to feel a connection with caregivers and purposes and way to add those to aging with the NCD's. this class has opened me up useful and applicable knowledge.

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before this course I had a decent overview on aging with some prior knowledge on cognitive changes. I had some prior knowledge on some of the topics covered as a whole due to my cognitive science background but not in particularly in relation to aging. I also had not seen real life implications like those presented in videos embedded in the modules.

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During this course I have learned and obtained a greater understanding of why the declines in neuroplasticity happen. For example, in Module One, we’re explained what the normal processing of aging is really like and it compares it with neurocognitive disorders. Through this, I learned the simple for of normal cognitive decline and how at times this is inevitable.

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After taking this Advance Memory class I came to realize that it was not what I expected, however, I can sincerely say that it has been one of the most fulfilling courses I taken in its entirety. Before this class I was aware of the changes in neuroplasticity and how over time the brains ability to change in response to experiences declines while the amount of effort to process these responses increases. Also, due to many observations of those who are aging around me I knew that people became more tire and possibly absent minded; never really understood why, though.

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Before this course, I knew a bit about what happens to dementia patients. I knew that there was a slow progression over years of cognitive decline in various dementia and in general how it was treated. I also have known that older adults’ problems were not properly addressed and were mostly placed in nursing homes to be treated at the facility's mercy. In recent years we are seeing the effects of these nursing homes and trying to place better care of our older adults, however, the talk is not open in most cases. When talking to the public, the same information is still known (that we understand very little of what is happening to our older generations). We see that older individuals with dementia are treated at a standstill as if they are a shell of a person - when through this course – we understand that this is not the case.

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Other things that this course has thought me are the causes and risk factors of many diseases that are highly correlated to aging, along with possible prevention's. This opened my eyes to future and also allowed me be more aware of my own health. Besides this I brought me to a very important realization; as kids we are almost always asked what we would like to be when we grow up — but it’s never how would you like to live when you grow old. Asking what we want to be is unrealistic, it doesn’t always end that way. However, focusing on how we want to live once we’re on are later stages is important but it isn’t talked about. This is something I would want to focus in my future from now on.

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I plan to use this information in any way that I can whether that be more understanding and patience or if my future career has to deal with demographics. Since I am becoming a BCBA (board-certified behavioral analyst) I may have to deal with older adults in problem behaviors. Even though the majority of my clients are toddlers and school-age children, there are cases of older adults that need behavioral assistance. (Especially since in some cases autism is prone to dementia) With this knowledge, I will have a better understanding of these individuals. In daily life, I would be more accepting in helping older individuals if they ask me for assistance or if they look confused about what is happening around them.

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From this course, I learned more about delirium and who would be more likely to be affected. I did not know that it was common among older individuals that had common problems or procedures done. For instance, if someone was constipated or if someone had surgery done, they would be more prone to delirium than a younger person with the same symptoms. Another thing I did not know was that cancer dementia was also common or that it existed after treatments. Through the course, I was able to identify and able to understand why this happens and measures that a person can do to deter this from happening.