Lifespan overheads, chapter 17: physical and cognitive development in late adulthood 1

Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood

Physical Development
Chronological age is an imperfect indicator of functional age
 the young-old appear especially young for their years
 the old-old appear frail and show signs of decline

Longevity: the average human can live 85-90 years

 fastest growing segment of the elderly is 85+, now
1.7% of the population; by 2050, 5.1%
 by 85 there are 259 women per 100 men
 but once a man reaches 85, he has as many potential
years ahead of him as a woman at that age

 genetic component: identical twins typically die within

3 years of each other; fraternal same-sex twins, 6 years

 environmental factors: SES; low-fat nutrient-rich diet;

body weight; blood pressure and blood cholesterol;
exercise; not smoking, drinking, or using drugs; lasting
marriage; stable family life in childhood; being
conscientious and dependable; hardiness (optimistic
outlook); low hostility; low stress; social support system

Physical changes

Nervous system:
 brain weight declines by 5 to 10% by age 80
o visual, auditory, motor areas: up to 50% of
neurons die
o cerebellum loses about 25% of neurons
o glial cells decrease  diminished efficiency
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o ANS decrements: poor temperature regulation, too

much cortisol in the system

Sensory systems

 vision:
o lens yellows, cataracts increase, pupil shrinks,
vitreous clouds, cell loss in retina and optic nerve
o ↓ eyesight, dark adaptation, depth perception,
visual acuity
o macular degeneration
o vitamins A,C,E and carotenoids

 hearing:
o eardrum stiffens, cells die in neural pathways --
decrements in high frequencies and soft sounds
o decline in speech perception

 taste and smell:

o reduced sensitivity to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter
o decrease in number of smell receptors
o odor perception becomes distorted

 touch:
o sharp decline in fingertips and hands, due to
poorer circulation to extremities
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Cardio and Respiratory Systems

 heart muscle becomes more rigid, walls of left ventricle

thicken, arteries stiffen, accumulate plaque
 heart pumps with less force, heart rate decreases,
blood flow slows down
 elasticity of lung tissue ↓ resulting in ↑breathing rate,
breathlessness when exercising

Immune system

 autoimmune responses against normal body tissues

 excessive stress hormones in the system
 healthy diet and moderate exercise

Sleep

 more trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting

deep sleep
 timing changes to earlier bedtimes, earlier awakenings
 men have more trouble than women
 66% more prescriptions for sedatives than 40-60 year
olds
o ↑ frequency and severity of apnea, cause rebound
insomnia
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Physical Appearance, mobility

 creasing and sagging of skin

 oil glands become less active, causing dry rough skin
 age spots increase
 moles and other skin growths may appear
 blood vessels are visible under the thinning skin
 nose and ears broaden
 teeth show their age
 hair on head thins out
 height declines as bone mineral content is lost
 loss in lean body mass continues
 muscle strength declines at a faster rate
 bone strength deteriorates
 flexibility of tendons, joints, and ligaments is reduced
 exercise can enhance flexibility and range of movement

Adapting to physical changes

 the more older people endorse negative stereotypes

about the elderly, the less likely they are to cope well

Health, Fitness, Disability

 health is central to physiological well-being in late life

 optimism!
 before age 85, SES predicts physical functioning
 African-American and Hispanic elderly are at greater
risk for certain health problems
 after age 85, women are more impaired than men,
because only the sturdiest men have survived
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Nutrition and exercise

 ↑ need for vitamins but many do not eat properly

 those who take supplements show better health,
physical functioning
 exercise is a powerful health intervention
 weight bearing exercise promotes muscle size,
functioning, strength

Sexuality

 decline in sexual desire and frequency of sexual activity

 most healthy older married couples report continued
regular sexual enjoyment
 among unmarried people over age 65, 70% of men and
50% of women have sex occasionally
 male is usually the one who ceases to interact sexually

Physical disabilities

 primary aging versus secondary aging

o arthritis: inflamed, painful, stiff, and often swollen

joints and muscles
 osteoarthritis
 rheumatoid arthritis

o adult-onset diabetes
 incidence doubles in late adulthood
 risk ↑ by inactivity and abdominal fat deposits
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o unintentional injuries

 motor vehicle accidents: higher rates of traffic

violations, accidents, fatalities per mile driven
than any age group except drivers under 25
 poor visual system, ↓ reaction time

 falls: 10% result in serious injury

Mental disabilities

 Alzheimer’s disease:
o 5-7% of people over 65; 15% of people over 80

o severe memory problems (recent memory, then

distant events, basic facts); personality changes,
depression, social withdrawal; loss of skilled and
purposeful movements; loss of ability to
comprehend and produce speech

o as fast as a few years or as long as 20 years

o neurofibrillary tangles; plaques amyloid; lowered

levels of ACTH; lowered levels of serotonin

o 2 types: familial, that runs in families, and

sporadic, that does not. Familial has earlier onset
(before age 65), progresses faster.

o HRT, anti-inflammatory drugs, education have

protective effects
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Cognitive Development

Memory: more frequent failure of memory

 recognition memory suffers less than recall memory

 remote memory: older adults find it easier to recall

adolescent and early adulthood experiences than
middle adulthood experiences

 recent memories are the most easily recalled

Language Processing

 oral language comprehension changes very little

 language production shows some losses
o retrieving words from long-term memory
o planning what to say and how to say it

Factors related to Cognitive Change

 mentally active life predicts good mental abilities into

advanced old age
 health status is a strong predictor of intellectual
performance
 terminal decline: a steady, marked decrease in
cognitive functioning prior to death
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Cognitive Interventions

 The Adult Development and Enrichment Project

(ADEPT) gave adults over 64 cognitive skills training
o 2/3 improved, even those who had previously
shown a decline
o among those who had declined, 40% returned to
the level they’d been at 14 years ago!

 many cognitive skills can be enhanced in old age

 continuing education  new friends, new ideas and

facts, higher self esteem