Module 8 Psych 140 Portage Learning

Late aduldhood Starts in 60's, can be the longest age grouping in one's life if an individual lives to old age Do most older adults develop dementia? No, it is not a normal part of aging. Only a small percentage of 65-to-75-year-old people have a neurocognitive disorder. However, this number increases with age (50% of individuals 85 and older have a neurocognitive disorder)_ What are some causes of neurocognitive disorders? Various diseases, severe drug/alcohol abuse, stroke, or progressive deterioration caused by a variety of factors Why do women typically outlive men? Partly genetics, but mostly environmental. Men are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, abuse drugs and alcohol, and be less vigilant about their overall health. Primary aging The universal and irreversible physical changes that occur to all living creatures as they grow older, genetically influenced, and thought to be unavoidable at this point Secondary aging Aging that is not inevitable and occurs due to choices we make and environmental exposures "wear and tear" theory States that time and exertion is the enemy, and focuses on secondary aging but ignores the actual cause which is primary aging. However there are holes in this theory: body does a great job at repairing itself, individuals who engage in a lot of exercise and activity are typically healthier and longer-lived than sedentary individuals, Free radical theory Theory of aging that states that free radicals triggered by certain environmental contaminants might be linked to various diseases and maladies that coincide with aging. Accumulating free radicals over time might be associated with problems such as cataracts and arthritis Cellular theories of aging -free radicals -hayflick limit Hayflick limit theory States that human adult cells have a limited number of times that they can divide (approximately 20). After this limit is reached, the cells will begin to die. Programmed cell death theories Focus on how cells appear to be designed to self-destruct in our genetic code. A variety of processes contribute to this programmed cell death, and many of the diseases associated with aging, such as osteoporosis and alzheimer's, have evidence of being at least partly caused by these processes. Subtypes of neurocognitive disorders Parkinson's disease, alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, substance/medication induced, a prion disease, neurocognitive disease due to hiv, cognitive declines due to vascular disease Symptoms of neurocognitive disorder caused by parkinson's: Anxiety, depression, hallucinations, personality changes Prion diseases -creutzfeldt-jakob disease—rapidly progressive dementia, typically sporadic (some familial forms). -bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse)—also known as "mad cow disease." -kuru—acquired prion disease noted in tribal populations practicing human cannibalism. What percentage of individuals with hiv have symptoms for at least a mild neurocognitive disorder? Approximately 25% Haart (highly active antiretroviral therapy) Drug cocktail that suppresses hiv replication, individuals taking haart often experience lower rates of neurocognitive issues What percentage of dementia cases are alzheimer's? 60% 3 stages of alzheimer's -early: family/friends may notice subtle changes in memory (routinely forgetting basic words and substituting them with odd words), social withdrawal and depression, trouble with activities -middle: independence in compromised, forgets family members' names, gait changes -late: might not be able to speak, eat, walk, or engage in life's basic activities, typically have health problems resulting from the sedentary and bed-ridden lifestyle. What happens to a brain with alzheimer's disease? Amyloid plaques (beta-amyloid protein deposits) disrupt normal communication between neurons. Neurofibrillary tangles disrupt the brain’s ability to transport necessary nutrients throughout the brain. However, brain imaging of the brains of older adults with no symptoms of ad may also have plaques and tangles. Disengagement theory of aging States that older adults should withdraw from society in order to prepare for death. Cummings and henry felt that older adults would be most satisfied in life if they didn't overly concern themselves with society in their declining years. Criticism for the disengagement theory Taking it "too easy" can have dire physical consequences so a "use it or lose it" view on aging is more accepted currently Activity theory Theory of adjustment to aging that assumes older people are happier if they remain active in some way, such as volunteering or developing a hobby Selective optimization with compensation theory The theory that successful aging is related to three main factors: selection, optimization, and compensation Brain death Complete cessation of all activity in the brain and brain stem Elisabeth kubler-ross's theory of death and dying Interviewed over 200 terminally ill individuals and came up with a five stage theory to describe their responses to their own approaching deaths. She stated that these stages were not fixed though. Kubler-ross's five stages of dying 1. Denial. 2. Anger. 3. Bargaining. 4. Depression. 5. Acceptance. Euthanasia Painlessly killing or permitting the death of someone who is severely injured or sick. Euthanasia can be active (an agent actively administers something to hasten death) or passive (an agent does not permit life-sustaining measures to be used). Hospice Very comprehensive program of services for the terminally ill, as well as their families. Treating physical needs, such as nausea and pain, and addressing social and spiritual needs. May be at a center or at a patient's home. Palliative care Emphasis on comfort rather than cure, on enhancing quality of life rather than prolonging it. Hospice emphasizes ___________ care. Palliative Grief The psychological reaction to a loss. Typical aspects of grief include sadness, anxiety, and anger. Mourning Behaviors undertaken while grieving. Mourning behaviors are strongly culturally determined. Why is alzheimer's referred to as adrd Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Too much variety for it to be considered one unified disorder. Diagnosis of alzheimer's Psychiatrist/psychologist to screen for mental health, nurse to screen physical health, fmri, social worker to give assessment of memory funcitoning Early signs of alzheimer's Memory loss that disrupts daily life, challenges in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, ew problems with words in speaking or writing, misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps, decreased or poor judgment, withdrawal from work or social activities, changes in mood and personality