2. Question from Lesson 7
Some people think that age-related memory decline is inevitable
and applies to all forms of memory. Are these people correct?
Provide reasons for your answers.
Sunday, 31 March 13
3. Question from Lesson 7
Some people think that age-related memory decline is inevitable
and applies to all forms of memory. Are these people correct?
Provide reasons for your answers.
Older people Do take longer to learn new information
STM – Depends on the task, easy one part tasks are ok. Tasks
that require divided attention are challenging for older people.
LTM - Episodic down, Procedural same, Semantic Same
Sunday, 31 March 13
4. Dementia
Large group of neurodegenerative diseases that cause a
decline in mental functioning.
Dementia develops
progressively with loss of
memory an initial onset
symptom
Sunday, 31 March 13
5. Alzheimer’s Disease
• The most common form of dementia
• Accounts for 50 – 70% of dementia
• Neurodegenerative disease that causes wide spread cell
death
• Causes decline in all aspects of cognitive function
• Post-mortems reveal deposits of plaque along the
damaged synapses
• These plaques and tangles effect neural transmission
Sunday, 31 March 13
6. Alzheimer’s Disease
• 100,000 Australians effected
• 1 in 25 over 60
• 1 in 8 over 80
• No simple diagnostic test – really only know for sure
when post-mortem conducted
• Symptoms are different for each person further
complicating diagnosis
Sunday, 31 March 13
8. Alzheimer’s Disease - symptoms
Typical memory loss includes
• Events
• Words and names
• Written and verbal directions
• Stories, TV, Movies, Books
• Semantic memory decline
• Procedural memories
Personality changes can also occur..........
Sunday, 31 March 13
9. Alzheimer’s Disease – Post-mortem
• Show high levels of the protein Amyloid
• Highly toxic – causes cell death
• Causes the development of the plaques and tangles
• Brains also have a massive lack of acetylcholine (an
important neurotransmitter)
Why are you in my brain amy loid??? She likes to play
twister and tangle things up. Doesn’t brush her teeth
and leaves Plaque everywhere! She drinks all the
acetylcholine mouthwash
Sunday, 31 March 13
