Deck 17: Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood

Question 1

Heart disease and vision loss are caused by antioxidant deficiencies.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In Canada, the fastest-growing segment of the population is the oldest old.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Socioeconomic status is a cause of the reduced atrophying of the cerebral cortex.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In Canada, the most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.

Question 5

Recent studies indicate that the majority of elderly adults in Canada have no difficulty performing instrumental activities of daily living.

Question 6

The number of telomeres remaining in a 70-year-old is considerably lower than the number found in a 5-year-old.

Question 7

Among older adults, auditory problems are more likely to be experienced by women than men.

Question 8

The skin of elderly adults is less responsive to cold and heat.

Question 9

Age-related physical changes that cause a general slowing down are responsible for diverse behavioural effects, such as taking longer to tie one's shoes, decrements in word skills, or driving problems.

Question 10

Cross-linking occurs more often in cell proteins of older adults than in those of younger adults.

Question 11

Neurologists have determined that older adults who have higher levels of education show less atrophy of the cerebral cortex than those who have fewer years of schooling.

Question 12

The ability to taste the four basic flavours (salty, bitter, sweet, and sour) does not appear to decline throughout the lifespan.

Question 13

Burns are far more common in late adulthood because the neurological message travels more slowly than in young or middle-aged adults.

Question 14

The health habit that is most important predictor of longevity and health in late adulthood is physical exercise.

Question 15

Free radicals occur less frequently in older than in young persons' bodies.

Question 16

According to the Hayflick Limit, there may be a minimum number of telomeres for every individual. When the total falls below that number, then disease or death comes fairly quickly.

Question 17

Late adulthood vision problems may occur because of atherosclerosis, resulting in an enlarged "blind spot" on the retina and a reduced field of vision.

Question 18

Those with hearing loss, whether mild or more severe, tend to be perceived as being disoriented or suffering from poor memory.

Question 19

As adults get older, their life expectancy decreases.

Question 20

The maximum human lifespan is approximately 100 years.

Question 21

Older adults who continue to challenge themselves with complex mental activities can delay or even reverse the normal decline in brain mass that is part of primary aging.

Question 22

Dementia can be caused by depression and drug intoxication.

Question 23

Periodic involvement with children might be an effective way to prevent depression in institutionalized elders.

Question 24

Older adults in their sixties may be more liberated to create because most have retired from everyday work.

Question 25

The feeling of fullness that follows a meal is referred to as "satiety" and tends to be impaired in late adulthood, causing possible weight gain.

Question 26

In Canada, people over 75 years of age have the highest rate of depression.

Question 27

Alzheimer's patients tend to show an increased level of dependency and clinginess, and may also have angry outbursts.

Question 28

Researchers have established that elderly adults generally outperform young and middle-aged adults on tests of prospective memory (tasks that require an individual to remember an event into the future, such as remembering a doctor's appointment).

Question 29

Falls often result from an older adult's loss of physical stamina.

Question 30

Signs of depression in older adults may be dismissed as old-age "grumpiness" by family members.

Question 31

Alzheimer's victims can't rely on habit to regulate their eating behaviour.

Question 32

Nearly 80% of elderly individuals complain of memory problems.

Question 33

A greater number of older men than older women are in nursing homes.

Question 34

Health status is the strongest predictor of depression in older adults.

Question 35

Older women tend to attempt suicide more often than older men, and they tend to complete the act more often because they choose more violent methods.

Question 36

Dementia can be caused by hypothyroidism.

Question 37

Among older adults, the strongest predictor for depression is poor health.

Question 38

A decrease in REM sleep in older adults is thought to contribute to cognitive decline.

Question 39

Researchers agree that only persons who are middle-aged or older can be described as wise.

Question 40

The physiological capacity to respond to sexual stimulation, unlike other aspects of functioning, appears not to diminish with age.

Question 41

What is the fastest-growing segment of the population in Canada?

A) oldest old subgroup
B) young old subgroup
C) old old subgroup
D) centenarians

Question 42

Which of the following is an NOT an accurate statement about vision in late adulthood?

A) Older adults seem to adapt more flexibly and positively to the difficulties of living with serious vision impairments than middle-aged adults.
B) Blood flow to the eye decreases, which results in an enlarged blind spot on the retina and a reduced field of vision.
C) The incidence of cataracts increases greatly among adults who are older than 75.
D) The pupil does not widen or narrow as much or as quickly, which causes problems in adapting to variations in light and glare.

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT consistent with the theory that there is a genetic process that limits the lifespan?

A) The Hayflick limit represents the point at which cells can no longer replicate themselves accurately.
B) By the average age of 50, a woman's ovaries will cease to produce estrogen.
C) The number of telomeres is reduced each time a cell divides, and a 70-year-old person has fewer telomeres than a child does.
D) Human embryo cells in a nutrient solution will double about 50 times before the cell colony degenerates.

Question 44

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the relationship between disability and activity among older adults in Canada?

A) The rate of disability among Canadians aged 75 years and older is increasing.
B) Since women are more likely than men to suffer from arthritis, they are also more likely to be limited in their ability to engage in the activities and tasks necessary for independent life.
C) The majority of older adults have difficulty performing ADLs or IADLs.
D) The prevalence of cataracts among seniors restricts their activity levels more than any other disability.

Question 45

The theoretical proposal that each species is subject to a genetically programmed time limit after which cells no longer have any capacity to replicate themselves accurately is called

A) the Telomere Theory.
B) the Functional Status.
C) the Hayflick Limit.
D) the Telomere Limit Theory.

Question 46

What key factor is correlated with lessening atrophy in the brain's cerebral cortex?

A) a social support system
B) a flexible personality
C) socioeconomic status
D) education

Question 47

When do a loss of "computational power" and the appearance of symptoms of old age typically occur?

A) when synaptic plasticity is at its peak
B) when significant dendritic interconnectivity is lost
C) when neuron loss reaches the peak of 25 000 eliminated neurons per day
D) when unused or redundant neural pathways are pruned

Question 48

Which of the following is an accurate statement about life expectancy in Canada?

A) Life expectancy decreases as adults get older.
B) The fastest growing segment of the Canadian population is the group aged 25-45.
C) The life expectancy of women is longer than that of men.
D) The gender gap regarding life expectancy is widening.

Question 49

What term is used to describe older adults whose physical and/or mental impairments are so extensive that they cannot care for themselves?

A) oldest old
B) fragile elderly
C) frail elderly
D) feeble elderly

Question 50

Researchers believe that all of the following can have a positive influence on the cognitive functioning of older adults EXCEPT

A) a low-fat, high-fibre diet.
B) complex mental activities, such as playing bridge.
C) use of estrogen supplements by elderly women.
D) an engaged and intellectually active lifestyle.

Question 51

Older individuals who have ________ are two to three times more likely to experience functional disability than elders who do not.

A) arthritis and hypertension
B) cancer
C) no spouse or children
D) impairments in vision and hearing

Question 52

What is the single largest factor that determines the trajectory of an adult's physical or mental status beyond age 65?

A) marital status
B) health
C) social support system
D) socioeconomic status

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT a typical hearing difficulty experienced by older adults?

A) irregular amplification of deep or bass-like sounds
B) tinnitus
C) difficulties in word discrimination
D) loss of ability to hear high-frequency sounds

Question 54

A common vision problem of aging that results in deterioration of the retina causing loss of central vision for older adults is called

A) cataracts
B) retinopathy
C) glaucoma
D) macular degeneration

Question 55

Which of the following is an example of changes that occur in the brain during the adult years?

A) an increase of grey matter
B) a decline in the density of dendrites
C) increased synaptic speed
D) a pruning of the synapses to eliminate redundant neural connections

Question 56

The redundancy that is built into the human brain to permit nerve impulses to move from one neuron to another even if dendrites have been lost is

A) synaptic plasticity
B) the action potential
C) programmed senescence
D) the Hayflick process

Question 57

What is the most likely cause of slower reaction time for everyday tasks and activities for an older individual?

A) dendritic loss and slowing of synaptic speed
B) the preliminary effects of Alzheimer's disease
C) pruning of redundant neural connections
D) the decline in sensory input and processing

Question 58

What is the Hayflick limit for human cell division?

A) 10
B) 50
C) 90
D) 40

Question 59

Ninety-year-old Mrs. Johnston is no longer able to manage tasks such as bathing or using the toilet by herself. A gerontologist most likely would determine that Mrs. Johnston needs help with

A) her independence skills.
B) both her activities of daily living and her instrumental activities of daily living.
C) self-care and grooming skills.
D) only her instrumental activities of daily living.

Question 60

According to researchers, which of the following health habits is most clearly linked to longevity and to lower rates of diseases (heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis)?

A) eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day
B) getting sufficient sleep
C) physical exercise
D) combining a low-fat, high-fibre diet with vitamin supplements

Question 61

Why are burns more common in late adulthood than earlier?

A) Loss of sensitivity to heat and a slower reaction time lead to increases in accidental burns.
B) Impaired ability to concentrate or focus on complex tasks leads to an increased incidence of various injuries, including burns.
C) An older person's skin is more heat-responsive and less able to withstand a level of temperature that would have been tolerated earlier.
D) Older persons cook for themselves more often and thus have more opportunity to be injured.

Question 62

What is the biggest single behavioural effect of age-related physical change in late adulthood?

A) increased irritability
B) lack of sexual desire
C) loss of energy
D) a general slowing down

Question 63

Which theory of aging suggests that aging occurs when undesirable bonds form between proteins or fats, resulting in molecules that cannot assume the correct shape for their proper function?

A) DNA recombination
B) cross-linking
C) free radicals
D) Hayflick limit

Question 64

The ________ theory of aging suggests that physical aging is caused when atoms or molecules with unpaired electrons enter into damaging chemical reactions that cause irreparable and cumulative cellular damage.

A) cross-linking
B) programmed senescence
C) antioxidation
D) free radicals

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT a theoretical explanation for biological aging?

A) The effects of age occur when undesirable chemical bonds form between cellular proteins or fats and cause molecules to be unable to assume the correct shape for proper function.
B) Species-specific genes for aging prevent humans from becoming parents when they are too old to be able to raise offspring to maturity.
C) Insufficient production of neurotransmitters interferes with cellular communication and causes cells to age.
D) Cells lose their ability to repair breaks in DNA, and the accumulation of unrepaired breaks results in aging.

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT an accurate conclusion about institutional care during late adulthood?

A) The duration of stay in a nursing home is longer for an older woman than for an older man.
B) The duration of institutional care is most often fairly brief.
C) Both voluntary and involuntary nursing-home placement are known to cause rapid decline and death.
D) Institutional care in late adulthood is common but is not universal.

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT a correct statement about the way aging affects the senses of taste, smell, or touch?

A) The ability to taste the four basic tastes of salty, bitter, sweet, and sour declines across adulthood.
B) Elderly adults lose their sensitivity to heat and cold in a reverse-proximodistal pattern, which causes sensation to be lost first in the extremities.
C) The loss of the sense of smell can lead to inadequate nutrition or dietary imbalances.
D) Reduced secretion of saliva causes a sensation of "woolly mouth."

Question 68

The general slowing down that older adults experience will impact all of the following EXCEPT

A) writing a grocery list.
B) translating thoughts into action.
C) driving an automobile.
D) having an optimistic personality.

Question 69

Which of the following is not an example of the way in which age-related physical changes could affect an individual's ability to drive an automobile?

A) trouble reading the instrument panel or road signs at night
B) increased difficulty adjusting to the glare of oncoming headlights
C) difficulty with drowsiness when driving long distances
D) requiring more time to respond when a vehicle or obstacle appears unexpectedly

Question 70

How are sleep patterns typically affected by age?

A) Older adults tend to become "night people" by going to bed later at night and getting up later in the morning.
B) Older adults must nap more during the day in order to accumulate the sleep they need.
C) Older adults typically sleep very soundly for longer periods through the night than they did when they were younger.
D) Older adults commonly have longer periods of REM sleep, or dream sleep.

Question 71

Auditory problems typically are experienced

A) only with advanced aging.
B) by more men than women.
C) with equal frequency by women and men.
D) by more women than men.

Question 72

What is the most likely serious consequence of older adults' loss of balance?

A) isolation
B) misjudged as impaired, intoxicated, or demented
C) an increase in depressed mood as a result of impaired mobility
D) an increase in falls and broken bones

Question 73

Older adults who are experiencing hearing loss are most likely to

A) be clinically depressed.
B) have psychological problems.
C) be perceived as disoriented or forgetful.
D) be socially isolated and unhappy.

Question 74

If you were to serve a platter of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies to a group of older individuals, which of the following comments would you be most likely to hear?

A) "The flavours of food seem to be so strong, so I really don't care for anything sweet."
B) "I can't smell a thing, dear."
C) "These smell so good. They really make my mouth water!"
D) "These cookies smell and taste delicious!"

Question 75

A persistent ringing in the ears is called

A) auditory loss.
B) tinnitus.
C) perception loss.
D) presbycusis.

Question 76

Your family is reluctant to place your very frail great-aunt into a nursing home because they have heard that nursing-home placement inevitably shortens the life of an elderly person. Which of the following is the most accurate advice for your family?

A) There is no scientific evidence of a relationship between nursing-home placement and mortality.
B) If the setting provides opportunities for individuality and personal control, even an involuntary move does not accelerate physical or mental decline.
C) Nursing-home care inevitably means a reduced life expectancy.
D) Involuntary placement into any form of institutional care inevitably results in rapid decline and death.

Question 77

The term ________ is used to describe the neurological disorder that includes problems with memory and thinking that affect an individual's emotional, social, and physical functioning.

A) "senility"
B) "amnesia"
C) "Alzheimer's disease"
D) "dementia"

Question 78

Which of the following is NOT a common cause of dementia?

A) multiple small strokes
B) genetics
C) multiple blows to the head
D) stress

Question 79

Which of the following is a symptom of Alzheimer's disease in the early stages?

A) failure to recognize family members
B) loss of memory for long-ago events
C) repetitive conversation
D) loss of memory for recent events

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT a factor that contributes to the decline in the frequency of sexual interaction across late adulthood?

A) decline in testosterone levels among men
B) social expectation that old age is an asexual period of life
C) menopause
D) use of blood pressure medication