Understanding Aging by Crystal Burks

AROUSAL LEVELS

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 21:21:22 UTC

Performance on learning exams can be affected by “over-arousal” in older individuals. There are many factors that can influence this type of stress, involving what stemmed the stress, what the task at hand is, as well as certain characteristics the individual possess. Every individual is different. This type of heightened arousal levels impacts test performance in the way that older individuals might respond less frequently or more frequently based on the older individuals autonomic nervous system deficits.

UNDERSTANDING COMPONENTS OF AGING

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 21:22:09 UTC

INTERFERENCE

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 21:23:14 UTC

The textbook definition of interference relates to the detrimental effect of learning one task upon the retention of another task, and there are two main kinds…

Retroactive (Retrograde) Interference: Learning new information makes it harder to remember past information

Proactive Interference: Older information gets in the way of remembering new information

LANGUAGE

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 21:27:28 UTC

Phonological: Use of the sounds of language and rules for their combination

-Lexical: Physical representation of a word

-Syntactic: Ability to meaningfully combine words

-Semantic: Representation of word meaning

Linguistic ability in young adulthood is predictive of linguistic ability in later life. Domains are mostly stable in aging. Semantic linguistic ability tends to decline, but the changes are not as devastating as they are in AD. Linguistic changes are typically minor in healthy aging.

CRYSTALIZED INTELLIGENCE

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 21:29:28 UTC

Abilities that are learned, or related to education and experience. Evidence points towards an increase in the Verbal subtests on the WAIS that test fluency, vocabulary—crystalized intelligence factors. This aspect can show improvement into the 8th decade (the 70s).

FLUID INTELLIGENCE

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 21:31:50 UTC

Abilities believed to be more closely related to biological and or genetic determinants, such as sensorimotor coordination and performance speed. Evidence favors at least some decline in the Performance subtests, evidence for psychomotor slowing, decline in “fluid intelligence” factors.

GERONTOPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 21:54:12 UTC

There have studies ongoing since the 1950's to find a medication that cures or stops the progress of Dementia and Alzheimer's or targeting Beta Amyloid. These are the proteins that contribute to these diseases. Medications such as Hydergine from the 1950's and recently the USFDA approved Lecanemab (Leqembi). Thus far, these drugs only slow cognitive decline. They do not stop the diseases.

MEMORY

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-17 22:08:04 UTC

Contrary to widespread belief, normative aging does not include Dementia or Alzheimer's disease. There are however, certain processes that do slow with age like memory. Some cognitive impairment can be expected. It is normal for us to forget where we put something. Normal to forget and appointment. Life is hectic. But to forget what the thing we lost IS or USED FOR, is the difference between Normative aging and Pathological aging.

SELECTIVE ATTENTION

alexandermundy — 2024-02-18 04:19:15 UTC

Selective attention is the ability to attend to a particular signal while simultaneously attempting to ignore other potentially intrusive signals. Older adults may experience a decline in selective attention. This decline in selective attention can result in difficulties in tasks such as driving, reading in noisy environments, or multitasking. Older adults may find it harder to maintain attention on a specific task when there are competing stimuli, leading to reduced efficiency and increased susceptibility to errors.

ATTENTION SWITCHING-FLEXIBILITY

alexandermundy — 2024-02-18 04:26:39 UTC

The ability to shift attention from one set of stimuli in a demanding task to another set of relevant stimuli. As individuals age, there may be a decline in cognitive flexibility, including the ability to switch attention between tasks rapidly and efficiently. Older adults may experience difficulties in adapting to changing task demands or in shifting attention between different aspects of a task.

SUMMARY

cburks1_2 — 2024-02-18 22:51:07 UTC

In summary, aging is a multifaceted study that evolves multiple processes. Memory is the concern. The idea that everyone gets older, senile and cannot learn is incorrect. Although there is no cure, there are activities and learning processes that can assist the older individuals with learning and retaining more. There is promising evidence in spite of the difficulties with selective attention, differences in arousal and intelligence levels, and interference that with medications, extra time and patience in activities, individuals can lead a higher quality of life in the later years.