1. What cognitive changes do we experience as we age?

2. 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.

4. 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

5. 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