Critical thinking questions

Your answers to these kinds of questions demonstrate an ability to comprehend and apply ideas discussed in this chapter.

1. Compare and contrast three social theories of aging.

2. Define ageism, and provide two original examples of ageism.

3. Discuss the diversity of grandparenting functions and roles.

4. Describe the tasks and themes of personality development during late adulthood.

5. What is life satisfaction, and what factors influence one's life satisfaction?

6. Explain how the selective optimization with compensation model could help you age successfully.

Ex.1. Skim over the text and give your comments on its ideas.

Depression And Intellectual Decline

executive – исполнитель, исполнительный

sequence – последовательность

primary care medical chart – медицинская карта первичной помощи

medication – медикаментозное лечение

intellectually impaired – имеющий снижение интеллекта

October 2007 - Research from the University of Rochester Medical Center published in The American Journal of Psychiatry has found that depression increases the risk of intellectual decline in older people and can be a predictive factor.

Jeffrey M. Lyness, professor of psychiatry, said:

"We can't conclude that treatment or prevention of depression would reduce or prevent cognitive decline but these findings certainly raise the possibility and that would be our hope."

This innovative study analyzed the roles of depression and intellectual dysfunction over a two year period in a group of 700 people aged 65 and over from private practices and University-affiliated clinics in Monroe County, New York. Researchers measured loss of executive functions involving high-level mental processes, such as decision-making, organizing, planning and completing a sequence of tasks.

Jeffrey Lyness explained:

"You can have a good memory and good language skills but if you lose executive function, you can't do very well in daily life."

Participants were interviewed at home or at the Medical Center to assess cognition, functional status, and depression. Researchers also reviewed each participant's primary care medical chart, focusing on mood and cognitive symptoms or disorders and treatments in addition to past and current medical problems and medications. Further interviews and reviews were conducted one and two years later.

Jeffrey Lyness commented:

"Not every elderly person who is depressed becomes intellectually impaired, but depression raises the risk of executive dysfunction. We began to see it at the one-year mark and it was clear after two years."

The researchers conclude that physicians treating older patients should be aware of the increased risk of loss of mental functions for those who are depressed.

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Questions:

1. What is the main hypothesis of the study?

2. What did the researchers measured?

3. Was the study longitudinal?

4. What advice do the researchers give to physicians?