Aging and Decline in Cognitive Abilities
The video Successful Cognitive and Emotional Aging (2009) examines some of the behaviors that individuals can practice in order to facilitate mental well-being as one advances in age. Neuroplasticity is the capacity of the brain's ability to change in response to behavior and environment. The video suggests ten strategies for to promote successful cognitive and emotional aging. 1) Physical activity, regular aerobic exercise and strength building. 2) Nutrition, the intake of colorful fruits and vegetables as well as multivitamins combined with staying hydrated caloric restriction. 3) No smoking and the moderate consumption of alcohol. 4) Sleep well and treat sleep apnea. 5) Maintain a healthy skepticism concerning anti-aging supplements, products and procedures. 6) Keep cognitively active through work, lifelong learning, volunteering and novel and challenging leisure activities. 7) Remain socially active by spending some time with people every day by joining a club, a social organization or taking a class....
8) Reduce stress and seek help for depressive symptoms (depression is not a normal part of aging). 9) Rely on your strengths and experience. 10) Stay positive, optimistic people tend to live longer. Genetics account for only about 25% of what determines health as people age.
Barbara Bjorklund (2010) notes there are two components to intelligence, crystallized intelligence which is dependent on education and experience, and fluid intelligence which requires adaptation to new situations and requires abstract reasoning. Research indicates that crystallized abilities continue to grow into the 60s and show only gradual declines in the 70s. However certain fluid abilities, such as speed of processing, and working memory show initial declines around 35 to 40. Cognitive abilities are influenced by health, genetics, demographics, schooling, intellectual activity, and physical exercise.
In order to maintain cognitive abilities it is important for individuals of any age to get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet, and get the proper…
Rockstein and Sussman (1979) defined senescence as the period of life where the human body weakens and declines in function rather than grows, a period which is of course associated with physical aging. There is much individual and cultural variation in this process, this is a gradual process, and it occurs across all cultures and in all individuals. Cultural perceptions of aging were also noted by Rockstein and Sussman to
Cognitive Changes Developmental cognitive occur starting age 50 moving end life. Developmental and cognitive changes The essay aims at exploring the developmental and cognitive changes that occur starting at the age of fifty years moving through end of life. The developmental changes are easily noticeable or observable, hence not much of literature or scholarly articles have been written about it. On the other hand a lot of materials, studies and researches have
Psychology of Aging Aging of whole organisms is a complex process that can be defined as a progressive deterioration of physiological function, an intrinsic age-related process of loss of viability and increase in vulnerability. Many psycholological and physical changes in humans can be brought about by aging, it is the most normal and regular process that affect human beings either positively or negatively. The most important stage of aging can be
The central nervous system is impaired generally producing retardation as well as accelerating the accretion of neurotic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Chromosome 21 mutations have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease but the specific gene related to Down Syndrome is yet undetermined. E. Developmental Psychological Aspects of Aging The study of developmental psychology is focused on the changes of individuals over passage of time as well as the
Dementia an Inevitable Part of the Aging Process? Dementia is a chronic and usually progressive deterioration of mental abilities and intellectual capacity due to changes in the brain such as widespread loss of nerve cells and the shrinkage of brain tissue. Since dementia is most commonly seen in the elderly, it is often erroneously considered to be part of the normal aging process. However, it is important to remember that
If anything, such a person may have regrets over having wasted too much of life on impersonal achievements and selfish pursuits. 6. Do you agree that in later life men become more nurturing and women more assertive? What do you think are the findings that could support or challenge that observation? The observation that men tend to become more nurturing, less competitive, less aggressive, and "gentler" in later life and that