Explain The Decline Of Memory

A topic I learned more of this semester in regards to the older population was dementia. Some loss in memory function is an inevitable consequence of aging, and as one ages, it takes more time to process information and retrieve memories. However, "Dementia is a general term that refers to progressive, degenerative brain dysfunction, including deterioration in memory, concentration, language skills, visuospatial skills, and reasoning, that interferes with a person's daily functioning" (Mauk, 2014, p. 377). This loss of mental skills affects the ability to function over time, causing problems with memory and how one thinks, impacting these individual's overall quality of life.

Over the centuries, the term dementia has evolved from one that described any change in intellect or judgement in the elderly, to a collection of cognitive and behavioral symptoms correlated with specific neuropathology. The aging process is thought to have three possible cognitive outcomes: (1) normal age related decline, which is often described as normal and healthy aging; (2) age associated memory impairment, which is not as severe and does not have all of the features of dementia; (3) dementia, for which there are many types (Christensen & O’Brien, 2000).

Kevin Arnold from the Wonder Years said “Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, and the things never want to lose.” Memories are the things that are upheld, whether good or bad, those memories are imprinted in the mind and cannot be taken away that is, until later in life. As one ages it is natural for some memories to fade. Loss of memories and brain function deficits that occur and are not from normal aging may indicate a person is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. With an aging population, Alzheimer’s is bcoming increasingly prevalent; causes, symptoms, and treatment are being researched even more the information being discovered is beginning to solve the mystery.

Many studies have been broad, studying the vocabulary, reasoning, memory, and speed of the person, but zoning in on one thing specific may lead to further understanding. Studying the effects of cognitive aging in relation to memory possibly will open so many more areas of study. Studying specific age groups could also be helpful when attempting to understand cognitive aging as a whole. Learning about how speed, memory, vocabulary, and reasoning all work within a child, 10-15 years old, might be helpful when comparing that data to that information of an adult. between 50-60 years

As we grow older, our cognitive function decreases. In other words, the brain shrinks and we do not have as good memory. Alzheimer’s disease is an example of this. Alzheimer’s can affect people ranging from ages 40 or higher. It is a disease that lasts from three to ten years. With Alzheimer’s individuals experience memory loss, change in personality, poor judgment, and more. As you get further into the disease, you become restless, mood swings occur often, and you get confused and forget things all the time. If someone experiences forgetfulness you need to provide a safe and secure environment. According to NCIB, “Memory function can be broadly divided into four sections, episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory, and working memory.” Episodic memory usually decreases during the aging process. Semantic memory increases from the

As people age they change in many different ways, biologically and physically; not everyone ages the same. When you get older you are physically slower and very forgetful. Why do people's cognitive functions decrease with aging? “ If scientists really knew the answer to that question, we might have already developed a "cure" for memory loss.”, says the UCSB scienceline. Basically there are two types of memory loss, short term and long term memory loss. Short term memory helps you remember where you put your things, like your shoes or your keys. This is the type of memory that suffers most when we get older. Sadly this is also the type of memory that we depend on in our daily lives.

What I thought was interesting to read in chapter 8, middle adulthood, was the different types of memory. Memory is traditionally viewed as three sequential components: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory is the memory that stores our information. Next, information that moves into short-term memory, which holds it for only 15 to 25 seconds and our long-term memory holds information on a relatively permanent basis. Though, sensory memory and short-term memory show virtually no weakening in the middle age. Long-term memory, however, declines for some people as age increases. I thought this part about memory was more interesting than others because I originally thought that older individuals have a good long-term

As individuals age, they are more at risk for cognitive impairments. Although there are multiple forms of these impairments, they mostly affect an individual’s life overall. Some aspects of these cognitive impairments are natural, whereas the course of aging may increase an individual’s likelihood of progressing to Alzheimer’s or dementia. On the other hand, some aspects, such as physical activity and social engagement, are able to be controlled by the individual which may decline the rate of cognitive impairments, such as memory loss. There are three types of memory: working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Short-term and working memories are similar in the fact that they have the smallest time span of seconds to minutes

Age-related declines in vision and cognitive functioning (ability to reason and remember), as well as physical changes, may affect some

First my father as a young girl growing up he was in good health and condition but as he got older and did not take care of himself his physical and health condition decline which is social aging. My father ate all the wrong food and gain weight which caused his knees to give out to the point where today he can not walk. My father also is 55 years old so on top his social aging he is also has his older adult decline. My mom and her cognitive changes have had a major decline. My mom when I was younger would remember a lot of things, dates and events. My mom now will tell you something or give you something and she would not remember. My mom is 56 years old so I feel that the text is correct when they say that with age you physical and cognitive functions decline.

Age plays a key role in this, considering it is often associated with a decline in cognitive functioning. Another reason for this is due to the fact that age is also linked to a decrease in glucose metabolism and tolerance (Gagnon, Greenwood & Bherer, 2011). In older adults, one focus seems to be episodic memory. Riby and colleagues (2007) chose to study glucose effects in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to see if the administration of glucose would show any signs of improvements. Multiple tasks were given to twenty-four patients with MCI and twenty-four older adults (mean age = 71). Each participant was given a drink that either included glucose or saccharin. The picture recognition task consisted of the presentation of 20 drawings. During the recognition phase, they were shown 40 drawings (20 target, 20 non-target) and asked to choose which ones had been seen prior. The story task involved a passage read by the experimenter. Each participant had to attempt to recall as much as they could immediately after, and then again later on. In the final task, participants were instructed to respond to a frequent target, and withhold their response to an infrequent non-target via a computerized attention task. It was found that blood glucose levels were higher in the participants with MCI. Another key finding was that episodic memory was responsive to glucose consumption. This was seen in older adults during the immediate and delayed story recall (Rigby et al., 2007). It was also seen in MCI participants in the delayed story recall. By looking at the effects in older adults and MCI patients, it allows for further knowledge regarding if glucose only aids in memory for those who have no impairments in cognitive functioning, or if it can also show improvements in those who

As we progress through life, it seems that simple things become difficult to recall. The question is does memory decline with age. There have been numerous debates about whether age has any correlation with memory deterioration or if our lapse in the recollection of our memories is contributed to stress we are experiencing. Another important factor that we must consider is the illnesses that are linked to memory loss such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. How does a researcher examine memory decline in humans in respect to age? Biology plays a key role in aspect to memory loss and the illnesses associated with memory loss; gender also seems to be a significant factor when discussing memory deficits.

As we approach old age, memory complications are inclined to increase. There you are at a business function and you see a colleague across the room. As you walk over, you suddenly realize you can't remember the person's name. The chances are you are not developing Alzheimer's disease, even though many people might be of the assumption that you have already contracted it. You are simply experiencing a breakdown associated with the process of memory, a breakdown that many of us begin to experience in our twenties and that tends to get worse as we reach our fifties. At this age, loss of function appears in many animals and it starts with the inception of sexual maturity.

Advancing age is commonly associated with loss of memory. The inability to maintain both short term and long term memory is serious. Learning new things or remembering familiar words and names can be quite daunting.

One study measured memory capacity through different number of words recalled as well as memory efficiency (through selectivity based on value assigned to different words) in different age groups (Castel et al., 2011). This differs from tests looking at episodic memory (free recall) by examining control of attention can result in encoding high-value information. Age-related differences were found in memory capacity (through number of words recalled). This study used a selectivity task where participants were asked to study and recall items assigned different values. They found that memory peaked in young adulthood (aged 18-23) and started to decline across middle to older adulthood (45 to 96 years) in a near linear relationship. However,