What cognitive changes do we experience as we age?

Memory Elderly people with poor memories most likely had poor memory skills when they were young. Memory does not decline as dramatically as we assume. Recall declines with age. Difficulty remembering faces/names, thinking of words. When clues are provided, recall just as good! Time bound information difficult to recall.

Intelligence Fluid Intelligence: Capacity to think logically & problem solve; “thinking on your feet” Slowly declines with age Crystalized Intelligence: One’s lifetime intellectual achievement Grows with age

Age Related Disease Senile Dementia: Mental disintegration that accompanies alcoholism, tumors, stroke, aging, & Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s: characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and physical functioning. Early Onset: before age 60 Late Onset: +60 years old Cause not clear (nature and nurture) Cognitively challenge yourself as you age