Neuropsychology of Ageing and Dementia PSMIN20
Lecture 1:
A) “Normal” development and decline
B) Exposure in early life may leave imprints on
structures or function of body systems
C) Exposure acting in mid or in later life
accelerating age-related decline
Difference between 1950 and 2014
- Number of > 70 year old further increased
- Babyboom generation
- Fewer births
Difference between 2014 and 2060
- More and more people reach a higher age
- Fewer births
Comparing developed and less developed regions
,Definitions of age
- Chronological age: measured in units of time
(months or years) that have elapsed since birth
→ example: young-olds (65-74), old-olds
(75-84), oldest-old (85+)
- Biological age: where people stand relative to
the number of years they will live (in terms of
the body’s organ system and physical
appearance) → speculative
- Functional age: person’s competence in
carrying out specific tasks → in comparison
with chronological age peers
→ example: the Third Age (between retirement
from work force and start of age-imposed
limitations), or the Fourth Age (cognitive and
physical impairment interfering with everyday
functioning)
- Psychological age: refers to how well a person
adapts to changing conditions
- Social age: views held by most members of a
society about what individuals in a particular
chronological age group should do and how
they should behave
Perspective on aging process
● Normative Aging
○ What is considered a usual, normal, or average outcome
● Successful Aging
○ What is considered an ideal rather than average outcome
● Positive Aging
○ The ability to find happiness and well-being even in the face of physical and / or
psychological challenges
Two theoretical models of aging
1) The selective optimization with compensation model of aging (Balter & Baltes, 1990)
→ Individuals engage in adaptation throughout their lives. They are capable of learning
and changing and calling upon extra (reserve)
capacity that they might not need to use under
ordinary circumstances
, ● Selection: a strategy of concentrating efforts on domains in which effective
functioning is most likely to remain high
● Optimization: a strategy of focusing on behaviors that maximize not only the
quantity but also the quality of life
● Compensation: refer to substituting new strategies when losses occur
2) The ecological model of aging (Lawton &
Hahemow, 1973)
→ The interaction between a person competence
and environment results in some level of
adaptation (measured in a person’s emotional
well-being)
● Competence: physical, sensory, cognitive
and social capabilities
→ A person with high competence will
adapt positively to a wider range of environmental
press than a person with low competence
Aging
- Why does aging occur?
- What determines how long people live?
- Biological changes: “Decremental physical changes (both structural and functional) that
develop with the passage of time and eventually end with death”
Biology of agings
- Gradual and cumulative
- Peak in early adulthood
- Decline after early adulthood → rate of decline differs strongly between individuals
→ not the majority, but even so most older adults are neither helpless nor dependent
- Are biological changes a consequence of the aging process rather than the disease?
- Aging in the absence of any disease is rare
- The likelihood of many disease increases with age
- Aging affects the consequences of disease when it occurs
- I.e. aging process and disease process interact
Morbidity: refers to illness and disease
Mortality: refers to death
→ Two terms are related
- Illness and disease can results in death
- Death is often preceded by illness and disease
- Morbidity does not necessarily result in mortality
Life span: the maximum longevity, or extreme upper limit of time,
that members of a species can live (~120 years)
- Has stayed the same over time
, Life expectancy: the average number of years that
individuals in a particular birth cohort can be
expected to live
- Has increased over time
- Affected by factors such as level of nutrition,
sanitary conditions, and medical care
- More and more people will approach the
maximum life span - compression of mortality
Theories of biology of aging
→ Some theories: biological aging occurs within the
organism regardless of outside forces
→ Other theories: biological aging is influenced by
our environment and daily habits and the way we cope with life’s challenges
● Primary aging
○ Unavoidable (inevitable) biological process that affects all members of a species
(universal)
○ Is set in motion early in life and progress gradually over time
■ Individual differences in progression rate
○ Is intrinsic is determined by factors within the organism
● Secondary aging
○ Experienced by most, but not necessarily all members of a species
■ Neither inevitable nor universal
○ Resulting from hostile environmental
influences
■ Disease
■ Disuse (e.g. lack of exercise)
■ Abuse (e.g. smoking)
Programmed theories
● Time clock theory
○ Cells from human infant doubled approximately 50 times, whereas cells from a
mouse (maximum life span 3 years), doubled 10-15 times
○ Life span in controlled by genetically determined time clock at cellular level
○ Cells from infants and young children divide more times than cells from older
adults
○ Recent studies: Telomeres
■ Protective cap at the tail ends of
chromosomes
● Immune theory
○ Immune system: defends body against invasion
of foreign substances
Lecture 1:
A) “Normal” development and decline
B) Exposure in early life may leave imprints on
structures or function of body systems
C) Exposure acting in mid or in later life
accelerating age-related decline
Difference between 1950 and 2014
- Number of > 70 year old further increased
- Babyboom generation
- Fewer births
Difference between 2014 and 2060
- More and more people reach a higher age
- Fewer births
Comparing developed and less developed regions
,Definitions of age
- Chronological age: measured in units of time
(months or years) that have elapsed since birth
→ example: young-olds (65-74), old-olds
(75-84), oldest-old (85+)
- Biological age: where people stand relative to
the number of years they will live (in terms of
the body’s organ system and physical
appearance) → speculative
- Functional age: person’s competence in
carrying out specific tasks → in comparison
with chronological age peers
→ example: the Third Age (between retirement
from work force and start of age-imposed
limitations), or the Fourth Age (cognitive and
physical impairment interfering with everyday
functioning)
- Psychological age: refers to how well a person
adapts to changing conditions
- Social age: views held by most members of a
society about what individuals in a particular
chronological age group should do and how
they should behave
Perspective on aging process
● Normative Aging
○ What is considered a usual, normal, or average outcome
● Successful Aging
○ What is considered an ideal rather than average outcome
● Positive Aging
○ The ability to find happiness and well-being even in the face of physical and / or
psychological challenges
Two theoretical models of aging
1) The selective optimization with compensation model of aging (Balter & Baltes, 1990)
→ Individuals engage in adaptation throughout their lives. They are capable of learning
and changing and calling upon extra (reserve)
capacity that they might not need to use under
ordinary circumstances
, ● Selection: a strategy of concentrating efforts on domains in which effective
functioning is most likely to remain high
● Optimization: a strategy of focusing on behaviors that maximize not only the
quantity but also the quality of life
● Compensation: refer to substituting new strategies when losses occur
2) The ecological model of aging (Lawton &
Hahemow, 1973)
→ The interaction between a person competence
and environment results in some level of
adaptation (measured in a person’s emotional
well-being)
● Competence: physical, sensory, cognitive
and social capabilities
→ A person with high competence will
adapt positively to a wider range of environmental
press than a person with low competence
Aging
- Why does aging occur?
- What determines how long people live?
- Biological changes: “Decremental physical changes (both structural and functional) that
develop with the passage of time and eventually end with death”
Biology of agings
- Gradual and cumulative
- Peak in early adulthood
- Decline after early adulthood → rate of decline differs strongly between individuals
→ not the majority, but even so most older adults are neither helpless nor dependent
- Are biological changes a consequence of the aging process rather than the disease?
- Aging in the absence of any disease is rare
- The likelihood of many disease increases with age
- Aging affects the consequences of disease when it occurs
- I.e. aging process and disease process interact
Morbidity: refers to illness and disease
Mortality: refers to death
→ Two terms are related
- Illness and disease can results in death
- Death is often preceded by illness and disease
- Morbidity does not necessarily result in mortality
Life span: the maximum longevity, or extreme upper limit of time,
that members of a species can live (~120 years)
- Has stayed the same over time
, Life expectancy: the average number of years that
individuals in a particular birth cohort can be
expected to live
- Has increased over time
- Affected by factors such as level of nutrition,
sanitary conditions, and medical care
- More and more people will approach the
maximum life span - compression of mortality
Theories of biology of aging
→ Some theories: biological aging occurs within the
organism regardless of outside forces
→ Other theories: biological aging is influenced by
our environment and daily habits and the way we cope with life’s challenges
● Primary aging
○ Unavoidable (inevitable) biological process that affects all members of a species
(universal)
○ Is set in motion early in life and progress gradually over time
■ Individual differences in progression rate
○ Is intrinsic is determined by factors within the organism
● Secondary aging
○ Experienced by most, but not necessarily all members of a species
■ Neither inevitable nor universal
○ Resulting from hostile environmental
influences
■ Disease
■ Disuse (e.g. lack of exercise)
■ Abuse (e.g. smoking)
Programmed theories
● Time clock theory
○ Cells from human infant doubled approximately 50 times, whereas cells from a
mouse (maximum life span 3 years), doubled 10-15 times
○ Life span in controlled by genetically determined time clock at cellular level
○ Cells from infants and young children divide more times than cells from older
adults
○ Recent studies: Telomeres
■ Protective cap at the tail ends of
chromosomes
● Immune theory
○ Immune system: defends body against invasion
of foreign substances
