N212 GERO LECTURE INFECTION, MUSCULOSKELETAL

Structural Age-Related Changes of the Neurologic System  Cellular and Structural Changes O Neuron O Neurotransmitters O Neuroglia and Schwann cells O Cerebrospinal fluid and ventricular system O Hippocampus and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis O Changes in the ability to consciously learn and retain new information easily O Specific aspects altered by the aging process are the explicit memory (e.g., delayed recall), the ability to learn new information quickly, memory storage, and memory retrieval O Change in balance and postural hypotension O Cellular and Structural Changes (Cont.) O Balance and motor function O Reticular formation and sleep patterns O Sensorimotor function O Assessment of Cognitive Function O Essential assessment in older adults O Mental status assessment: attention, memory, orientation, perceptions, thought processes, thought content, insight, judgment, affect (expression of emotions), mood (a person’s emotional state), language, and higher cognitive functions O Neurologic assessment: cranial nerves, gait, balance, distal deep tendon reflexes, plantar responses, primary sensory modalities in lower extremities, and cerebrovascular integrity O Complete neurocognitive examinations to establish baseline function and to detect potentially reversible conditions causing mental and behavioral disturbances O Selected Cognitive Function Screening Instruments O Functional assessment O Dementia Severity Rating Scale (DSRS) O Covers the areas of memory, orientation, judgment, community affairs, home activities, personal care, speech and language recognition, feeding, incontinence, and mobility or walking O Normal score instrum