Adult Development and Aging Exam 2
Brain
1. What are the main parts of a neuron? What are the functions of these parts? What
are synapses? What is the role of neurotransmitters (very generally)
a. Neurons consist of dendrites, axon, neurofibers, terminal branches.
b. Neurotransmitters: travel across the synapse carrying information signals
c. Dendrites: receive stimulation
d. Axon: pass the message on
e. Neurofibers: structures in the neuron that carry information inside the
neuron form the dendrites to the terminal branches
f. Terminal branches: the end points in a neuron that help transmit signals
across the synapse
g. Synapses: neurotransmitters travel across on synapse to next neuron in line
2. What are the age-related changes in neurons?
a. Number of neurons declines
b. Number and size of dendrites decreases
c. Tangles develop in axon fibers
d. Increases in deposits of proteins
e. Number of synapses decreases
3. What are the age-related changes in neurotransmitters? What are the results of
these declines for dopamine?
a. Dopamine is associated with higher–level cognitive functioning
b. Declines are related to poorer
i. Episodic memory
ii. Tasks that require fast processing
c. Serotonin and acetylcholine also decline with age.
4. Which areas of the brain seem to shrink especially in the elderly? What are white
matter hyperintensities, and what do they indicate as far as brain composition is
concerned?
, a. White matter hyperintensities (WMH)
i. Abnormalities in the brain often found in older adults; correlated with
cognitive decline
b. Prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum = shrinkage
5. How do older adults compensate for brain changes? I.e. how is the activity in the
aging brain different from the younger brain?
a. Younger adults exhibit focal, unilateral activity in left prefrontal region and
older adults exhibit bilateral activity (both left and right prefrontal areas).
b. Older adults active different parts of brain to compensate for decline in other
areas
6. What is plasticity? How can it influence the aging brain?
a. Involves the interaction between the brain and the environment and is
mostly used to describe the effects of experience on the structures and
function of the neural system.
7. What is neurogenesis? How common is it? Where in the brain can it occur in adults?
a. Neural stem cells new neurons
b. Growth and development of neurons
c. Can generate new cells throughout adulthood
d. Occurs in hippocampus area
8. How can exercise help the aging brain?
a. Brain plasticity is enhanced by aerobic exercise.
9. What is the influence of nutrition on the aging brain? Which groups of nutrients are
especially valuable?
a. Vitamins B, C, D, and E
b. Omega- 3 fatty acids (usually found in seafood)
c. Maintaining good levels of these nutrients in blood plasma helps reduce the
levels of brain structure changes and cognitive declines
Memory
1. Describe the information processing model of memory. What are the memory stores,
what is the role of attention? What is processing speed?
a. Memory stores
, i. Sensory store
ii. Short-term store
iii. Long-term store
b. Attention:
c. Professing Speed: how quickly and efficiently the early steps in information
processing are completed
2. What are the reasons suggested for the decline in processing speed with age?
i.
3. What is the difference between automatic and effortful processing? What are the
changes with age?
a. Automatic:
i. Places minimal demands on attentional capacity
ii. Gets information into the system largely without us being aware of it
iii. Ex: driving
b. Effortful:
i. Requires all of the available attentional capacity when processing
information
ii. Ex: learning words on list
4. Explain the difference between short-term and working memory. How does Working
memory change with age? Which type of working memory declines more with age?
a. Working memory is the use and processing of short-term memories for effecting
behaviors.
b. Short-term: the capacity for holding, but not manipulating, a small amount of
information in mind in an active, readily available state for a short period of time.
c. Working:
i. The active processes and structures involved in holding information in
mind
ii. Working memory capacity and rehearsal decline with age
5. What is the difference between implicit and explicit memory? What is another name for
explicit memory, what two types of implicit memory were mentioned in class? Is there a
decline with age in implicit memory? How does it compare with declines in explicit
memory?
a. Implicit (procedural):
i. Involves retrieval of information without conscious or intentional
recollection
ii. Adults are better at implicit memory tasks than explicit memory tasks
b. Explicit (declarative):
Brain
1. What are the main parts of a neuron? What are the functions of these parts? What
are synapses? What is the role of neurotransmitters (very generally)
a. Neurons consist of dendrites, axon, neurofibers, terminal branches.
b. Neurotransmitters: travel across the synapse carrying information signals
c. Dendrites: receive stimulation
d. Axon: pass the message on
e. Neurofibers: structures in the neuron that carry information inside the
neuron form the dendrites to the terminal branches
f. Terminal branches: the end points in a neuron that help transmit signals
across the synapse
g. Synapses: neurotransmitters travel across on synapse to next neuron in line
2. What are the age-related changes in neurons?
a. Number of neurons declines
b. Number and size of dendrites decreases
c. Tangles develop in axon fibers
d. Increases in deposits of proteins
e. Number of synapses decreases
3. What are the age-related changes in neurotransmitters? What are the results of
these declines for dopamine?
a. Dopamine is associated with higher–level cognitive functioning
b. Declines are related to poorer
i. Episodic memory
ii. Tasks that require fast processing
c. Serotonin and acetylcholine also decline with age.
4. Which areas of the brain seem to shrink especially in the elderly? What are white
matter hyperintensities, and what do they indicate as far as brain composition is
concerned?
, a. White matter hyperintensities (WMH)
i. Abnormalities in the brain often found in older adults; correlated with
cognitive decline
b. Prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum = shrinkage
5. How do older adults compensate for brain changes? I.e. how is the activity in the
aging brain different from the younger brain?
a. Younger adults exhibit focal, unilateral activity in left prefrontal region and
older adults exhibit bilateral activity (both left and right prefrontal areas).
b. Older adults active different parts of brain to compensate for decline in other
areas
6. What is plasticity? How can it influence the aging brain?
a. Involves the interaction between the brain and the environment and is
mostly used to describe the effects of experience on the structures and
function of the neural system.
7. What is neurogenesis? How common is it? Where in the brain can it occur in adults?
a. Neural stem cells new neurons
b. Growth and development of neurons
c. Can generate new cells throughout adulthood
d. Occurs in hippocampus area
8. How can exercise help the aging brain?
a. Brain plasticity is enhanced by aerobic exercise.
9. What is the influence of nutrition on the aging brain? Which groups of nutrients are
especially valuable?
a. Vitamins B, C, D, and E
b. Omega- 3 fatty acids (usually found in seafood)
c. Maintaining good levels of these nutrients in blood plasma helps reduce the
levels of brain structure changes and cognitive declines
Memory
1. Describe the information processing model of memory. What are the memory stores,
what is the role of attention? What is processing speed?
a. Memory stores
, i. Sensory store
ii. Short-term store
iii. Long-term store
b. Attention:
c. Professing Speed: how quickly and efficiently the early steps in information
processing are completed
2. What are the reasons suggested for the decline in processing speed with age?
i.
3. What is the difference between automatic and effortful processing? What are the
changes with age?
a. Automatic:
i. Places minimal demands on attentional capacity
ii. Gets information into the system largely without us being aware of it
iii. Ex: driving
b. Effortful:
i. Requires all of the available attentional capacity when processing
information
ii. Ex: learning words on list
4. Explain the difference between short-term and working memory. How does Working
memory change with age? Which type of working memory declines more with age?
a. Working memory is the use and processing of short-term memories for effecting
behaviors.
b. Short-term: the capacity for holding, but not manipulating, a small amount of
information in mind in an active, readily available state for a short period of time.
c. Working:
i. The active processes and structures involved in holding information in
mind
ii. Working memory capacity and rehearsal decline with age
5. What is the difference between implicit and explicit memory? What is another name for
explicit memory, what two types of implicit memory were mentioned in class? Is there a
decline with age in implicit memory? How does it compare with declines in explicit
memory?
a. Implicit (procedural):
i. Involves retrieval of information without conscious or intentional
recollection
ii. Adults are better at implicit memory tasks than explicit memory tasks
b. Explicit (declarative):
