I would like to start by saying thank you for this wonderful opportunity you have given me. I am beyond excited to design and coordinate six months’ worth of activities for the residents at our local nursing home. I know that many of the residents suffer from memory loss and I have several ideas that would assist them with improving their memories. I have just graduated from college and in my last psychology course I read an interesting scholarly article about how exercise training increases the size of an individual’s hippocampus and improves their memory. I am planning on taking the knowledge I have received from this article and putting it towards the six month plan of activities for the residents. My goal is to help all of the residents …show more content…
Before I explain to you my six month plan for our residents, I thought it would be helpful for you to understand what I am talking about. During late adulthood the hippocampus shrinks, this causes memory loss and a chance for an individual to encounter dementia. In an adult who is more active the hippocampal and medial temporal lobe are larger. This helps an adult keep an active memory and stay healthy. Psychologists always knew that the hippocampus is the part of the brain that is important for learning and how memories form. When an individual continues to age the physical size of the hippocampus decreases which leads to memory loss. Spatial memory plays an important role in this because these types of changes are only dealt with this type of cognition. This type of memory explains how individuals are able to remember where objects are placed in three-dimensional space. One idea that is developing as a beneficial involvement for promoting brain health and plasticity in the hippocampus is exercise. This is why I believe having the residents participate in daily exercise would benefit their memory and their overall life
Memory plays a significant role in the everyday lives of people of all ages. It allows them to recall information and remember skills that were learned in the past. Memory also organizes past information to help people make current and future decisions. However, imagine forgetting the names of close family members or not having the ability to find your keys every time you want to leave the house. These are some of the struggles that people with Alzheimer’s disease face daily. Alzheimer’s disease was first identified by German neurologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, and was discovered to have an overpowering effect on explicit memory loss (Gruetzner, 1988). There are two types of Alzheimer’s disease – early onset and late onset. Early onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed before the age of 65 whereas late onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed after the age of 65. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, short-term memory is often lost. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, problems with long-term memory begin to develop, in addition to short-term memory impairments. Although a lot is known about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the cause has not been conclusively identified. However, as research continues, new theories about the cause of Alzheimer’s disease are being proposed. This has led to a controversy over whether Alzheimer’s disease is caused by genetics or environmental influences (Gruetzner, 1988).
7 Day SLA: Over the past couple of months there have been several email reminders about CET managing to a ticket SLA of less than 7 days open, and we have indeed seen improvements in this area, but as always there is still room for improvement. Please keep working toward this 7 day SLA, whenever possible, and as always make sure you have a recent comment in any ticket older than 7 days with why it is still open and next steps.
...tions in the number of synaptic spines and functional synapses contribute to annual reductions of as much as 0.5% to 1.0% in cortical thickness (the cortex is the outermost layer of the brain) and sub-cortical volume in some regions of the brain (Fjell & Walhovd, 2010). Working memory declines in both speed and function, so they forget names, locations of important objects, appointments and medication schedules (Smart, 2012). Both physical fitness and exercise in the form of stimulation among multiple channels aid in slowing cognitive decline and could potentially provide success to individuals (Whitbourne & Whitbourne, 2010). However, Horn and Cattell found that memory, crystallized intelligence, and fluid knowledge all decreased after age of 70 despite level of education, physical activeness and the number and variety of stimulating experiences (Smart, 2012).
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is on the rise among ageing populations worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease leads to the death of neurons in numerous areas of the brain, including the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, which are two areas of the brain correlated with memory. (5) According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease could rise from 5 million to 16 million in the United States and by 2050 the total worldwide is predicted to rise to 100 million. This could relentlessly strain health-care systems because the
The horrible feeling of forgetting a coworker’s or an acquaintance’s name may be one of the most frustrating things a person can experience. This is a fact that many patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s face on a reoccurring basis. Loss of memory is a common part of the aging process and is sometimes referred to as dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and is not reversible in this day and age. In fact, 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases are Alzheimer’s and in 2015 more than 5.1 million cases age 65 or older were reported (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). The most startling statistic is that by 2050, 14 million Americans and 81 million worldwide cases are expected (Wierenga & Bondi, 2011). While dementia is a part of Alzheimer’s it also affects an afflicted patient ability to perform day to day tasks, increased mood swings, and in the later stages, the ability to even walk or care for themselves. This horrible disease
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most prevalent diseases in America and in the world at this point in time and the number of cases is only increasing. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s might include a decline in mental capacity, confusion, and forgetting how to do simple tasks. The disease in not limited to the older generation but is far more prevalent. There is no existing cure for Alzheimer’s and only a few medications that can mildly treat the disease but they vary from patient to patient and are not very affective. Many people are now trying to focus on preventing the disease in its early stages. Some ways in which people do this is by pairing a healthy diet with both cognitive and physical exercises.
It is said that memory declines as people age, and this can be just a natural part of life. However, in many cases as people grow older, they develop a mental disorder known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes problems with memory, thinking, and overall behavior, and progressively becomes a bigger problem. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and is a very common disease in people over the age of 65. This terminal disease puts tremendous stress on the victim and the victim’s family. A cure for Alzheimer’s has yet to be discovered; however, through healthy and constant use of the brain and the aid of certain drug treatments, Alzheimer’s disease can be both naturally and medically prevented.
One of the most common problems in elders is dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association describes dementia as a range of symptoms rather than just one single specific disease. The symptoms of dementia range from memory loss as well as a decline in thinking skills to severe symptoms that lead to the decline of that person’s ability to perform activities of daily living (What
For most people, especially those with memory problems, exercise is a lonely and boring task. Find an activity that peaks their interest.
Central Idea: Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes serious illness of the brain, and deteriorates the hippocampus.
People that are diagnosed with Dementia have an advanced brain disorder that can make it progressively more difficult for them to think clearly, remember things, communicate to others, or even take care of themselves on their own. I have been personally affected by this disorder through members of my family and that is why this particular lecture caught my attention the most. I didn’t realize how serious this disorder can be and how much it not only impacts a person’s memory loss, but many other aspects of their life. The topics that interested me the most and ones I wanted to learn more about were normal aging memory loss versus symptoms of Dementia, how families cope with a loved one with Dementia, and the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
This lack of significant results indicates that aerobic exercise did not influence the short term memory of adults experiencing aMCI. When analyzing this study, one must consider the various limitations present that have the ability to effect the study itself. One of the major limitations that should be considered in this study is the small sample size. In the future, research corresponding to this study should utilize a larger sample size in order to obtain more precise results.
It was once the norm to associate a decline in one’s memory to be a part of typical aging. As it has been proven, a marked decline in cognition is an unexpected outcome of the aging process. A decline has actually been identified to be cause for concern and thus falls under the broad scope of dementia. One particular disease that falls under the umbrella of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. This is an unfortunate disorder with a hallmark symptom of gradual, ongoing, neurological decline. The disease not only consumes a person’s short term memory but eventually the long term memory as well.
Doornhein, K. & De Haan, E.H.F.(1998). Cognitive Training for Memory Deficits in Stroke Patients. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 8(4), 393-400.
Due to an increase in age, many seniors have a decrease in their physical activity. As people get older, an active lifestyle is more important than ever. The loss of strength and stamina attributed to aging is caused by reduced physical activity. According to the National Center of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Prevention, seniors can benefit from exercise. Some of the benefits of physical activity include reducing the risk of falling and fracturing bones, helping with endurance and muscle strength, and helping pain associated with arthritis symptoms. Exercise is not only good for the body; it’s also good for brain functions, mood, and memory. A lack of exercise during adult life can lead and become associated with fatigue, body weakness,