The ability, termed Theory of Mind, _________ during childhood and ____________ after age 75
increases; decreases
Executive functions include all of the following EXCEPT
a. making plans
b. switching between tasks
c. monitoring internal temperature
d. carrying out plans
monitoring internal temperatures
For adult development and aging research, the most important elements of the limbic system are the
amygdala and hippocampus
What are the age-related changes in neurons?
tangles develop in the fibers that make up the axon
Older adults sometimes show reduced activation of appropriate prefrontal regions. At other times, they show the same or greater recruitment of these areas, when compared with younger adults, depending on the task they are doing. This indicates that prefro
context dependent
_________ functioning includes processes such as the ability to control what one is thinking about at any one moment in time and the ability to focus on relevant information and eliminate irrelevant information.
executive
Attributional inferences are
making casual judgements about why social situations occur
Evidence has shown that the _______ in frontal activity in older adults may be a response to the ________ efficiency of neural processing related to the perceptual areas of the brain.
increase; decreased
The effective functioning of the dopaminergic system in normal aging.
declines
X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs are examples of
structural neuroimaging
The default network of the brain refers to the regions of the brain that are most _____ when an individual is at rest and not involved in a cognitive task.
active
Which of the following biomarker patterns was associated with less favorable cognitive functioning and less total cerebral brain volume?
the biomaker pattern high in transfat
Overall, there is considerable shrinkage that occurs in the aging brain. However, the shrinkage is selective. The prefrontal cortex, the ________ , and the _______ all show profound shrinkage.
hippocampus; cerebellum
It is now widely accepted that bilateral activation in the aging brain
may serve a functional and supportive role in cognitive functioning
Which approach attempts to directly link functional brain activity with cognitive behavioral data?
activation imaging
The compelling research regarding the effects of aerobic exercise and diet on the aging brain and how well it functions suggests which of the following old saying appears to be true?
use it or lose it
Which part of the brain shows less age-related deterioration?
amygdala
To explore brain-related factors that might explain age differences in cognitive functioning, a researcher may use a(n) ______________ to examine how changes in brain activity occur in correspondence with changes in task demands.
fMRI
Given what you have learned about the relationship between nutrition and cognitive functioning over time, what is one piece of advice you could give others?
maintaining good levels of certain nutrients in blood plasma can reduce structural changes in the brain and cognitive declines
_______is a multifaceted concept that involves the changes in structure and function of the brain over time as the result of the interaction of the brain with the environment.
plasticity
processing speed _____ as people age
decreases
Neuroscientific methods have shown that brain activity involved in ______ occurs in areas of the brain that are among the first affected by Alzheimer's disease.
identification of faces
Reductions in the _______ of the hippocampus are related to memory decline.
volume
The hippocampus is intimately involved in various aspects of memory, such as
autobiographical memory
The emotional processing areas of the brain are more _________ over time, whereas higher-order executive cognitive processes seem to __________.
preserved; decline
Which approach compares the brain functioning of healthy older adults with adults displaying various pathological disorders of the brain?
neuropsychological
Which of the following biomarker patterns was associated with better cognitive functioning and greater brain volume?
high blood plasma levels of omega- 3 fatty acids
Advances in ___________________________ allow us to adequately test conditions under which age-related __________ change in the brain is associated with decline, compensation, or even improvement in functioning.
neuroscientific methods, structural
Executive functioning failures in older adults can be seen when older adults
have difficulty factoring out false information in an article they are reading.
When examining bilateral prefrontal engagement of older adults, which of the following is true?
High-performing older adults show bilateral prefrontal engagement.
The areas of the brain related to sensory functions, such as the visual cortex, show relatively little
shrinkage.
Which area of neuroscience has revolutionized our understanding of the relationships between the brain and behavior?
neuroimaging
Why are the results from neurocorrelational studies considered speculative?
Because we cannot be certain that the behavioral tests accurately assess the actual anatomical and functional activity of the brain region under investigation
Research methods that focus on understanding age-related changes in the brain can help explain why certain
__________ functions are preserved into old age.
cognitive
Across the research, the typical finding is that older adults have reduced brain activity in the ________ areas when compared with younger adults.
prefrontal and temporal
Research has found that declines in the dopaminergic system are related to declines in ________ memory and _______ tasks.
episodic; speed
is the neurotransmitter associated with higher-level cognitive functioning like inhibiting thoughts, attention, and planning.
dopamine
One way researchers study how brain activation patterns among key structures operate is to study them in people with
known neurological disorders
Even though aging is associated with an overall decrease in the number of new neurons, this differs across regions of the brain.
true