Deck 2: Neuroscience As a Basis for Adult Development

Question 1

The scaffolding networks used by older adults are more efficient than the honed, focal ones they used as young adults.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Even though aging is associated with an overall decrease in the number of new neurons, this differs across regions of the brain.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that cross the spaces between neurons.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

One's theory of mind develops across the life span and is one benchmark by which to determine whether an individual has a developmental or cognitive impairment.

Question 5

There is an increase in the processing of negative emotional information and a decrease in the processing of positive emotional information that occurs with age.

Question 6

Aside from dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine are two other important neuroresistors related to cognitive aging.

Question 7

Older adults compensate for brain changes by activating fewer areas of the brain than young adults when performing the same tasks.

Question 8

The certain cognitive functions, such as well-practiced tasks, vocabulary, and wisdom, can be preserved into old age.

Question 9

Supplementary processes take place when different brain regions are activated to compensate for lacking or insufficient processing resources.

Question 10

The number of potential connections in the brain increases with age, as measured by the number of synapses among neurons.

Question 11

Bone fractures and tumors, in the brain are typically detected by the use of functional neuroimaging.

Question 12

The method that results in an index of the structural health of white matter is called diffusion tensor imaging or DTI.

Question 13

The neuroimaging techniques used most often are structural neuroimaging and functional neuroimaging.

Question 14

Contrary to what was previously thought, brain cells can regenerate, even in late life, under the right circumstances.

Question 15

The cerebellum is the outermost part of the brain. It consists of two hemispheres (the right and the left), which are connected by the corpus callosum.

Question 16

The neuropsychological approach compares the brain functioning of healthy older adults with adults displaying various pathological brain disorders.

Question 17

The activation-imaging approach allows for real-time investigation of changes in brain function as they affect cognitive performance in older adults.

Question 18

The study of the structure of the brain is called neuroanatomy.

Question 19

The neuroimaging techniques used most is near-infrared spectroscopic imaging (NIRSI).

Question 20

The neurocorrelational approach attempts to link measures of cognitive performance to measures of brain

Question 21

The areas of the brain related to sensory functions, such as the visual cortex, show relatively little

A) shrinkage.
B) improvement across the life span.
C) white matter.
D) intensity.

Question 22

Abnormal processing of which neurotransmitter has been implicated in cognitive decline in normal aging, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia?

A) Serotonin
B) Dopamine
C) Acetylcholine
D) Cerebraltonin

Question 23

Neuroimaging has allowed us to

A) determine what a healthy brain looks like.
B) see exactly how the brain changes over time.
C) determine which brain changes are normative and which are not.
D) see inside the brain of a living person to examine the various structures of the brain.

Question 24

Research clearly shows that brain plasticity is enhanced as a result of

A) online "brain-training" exercises.
B) aerobic exercise.
C) having parents with high IQs.
D) lack of pollution in one's environment.

Question 25

When examining bilateral prefrontal engagement of older adults, which of the following is true?

A) Older adults show less prefrontal bilateral activity during working memory tasks than younger adults.
B) Low-performing older adults show left-lateralized activation during a long-term memory task.
C) High-performing older adults show no bilateral prefrontal engagement.
D) High-performing older adults show bilateral prefrontal engagement.

Question 26

The emotional processing areas of the brain are more _________ over time, whereas higher-order executive cognitive processes seem to __________.

A) preserved; decline
B) conserved; increase
C) preserved; increase
D) conserved; decline

Question 27

Research by Winecoff and colleagues (2011) indicates that as cognitive abilities decline, people may be less able to , a pattern typical in diseases such as dementia.

A) ignore irrelevant information
B) learn new tasks
C) hold as many pieces of information in working memory at one time
D) regulate their emotions

Question 28

Erikson and colleagues (2009) were interested in whether aerobic exercise had any effect on the volume of the hippocampus, a key brain structure related to memory. To assess this, they had older adults

A) play basketball.
B) take yoga classes.
C) swim laps each day.
D) exercise on a motorized treadmill.

Question 29

STAC-r stands for

A) Social Tact and Cognition-revised.
B) Specialized Telemeres and Cognitive Functioning-revised.
C) Scaffolding Theory of Cognitive Aging-revised.
D) Social-Congitive Theory of Adult Competence-revised.

Question 30

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?

A) The research on the relationship between nutrition and cognitive functioning is unclear.
B) Maintaining good levels of certain nutrients in blood plasma can reduce structural changes in the brain and cognitive declines.
C) The nutrients important for women's cognitive functioning are different from those required by men.
D) After age 75, nutrition is not an important factor in cognitive functioning.

Question 31

The space between neurons is called the

A) gaptic region.
B) corpus callosum.
C) synapse.
D) terminal branches.

Question 32

Contrary to a previously held popular belief, persist in the adult brain and can regenerate throughout the life span.

A) synapses
B) neurons
C) white matter
D) neural stem cells

Question 33

The CRUNCH model suggests that there are two main mechanisms the older brain uses to perform tasks:

A) increased synapses and neurotransmitters.
B) memory aids such as mnemonic devices and brain training exercises.
C) brain training and recruiting friends to help with cognitive tasks.
D) more of the same and supplementary processes.

Question 34

Park and Reuter-Lorenz argue that the integrative approach provided by the STAC-r model embraces a "lifelong potential for plasticity and the ability to ______ age-related changes."

A) resist
B) adapt to
C) ignore
D) modify

Question 35

The National Human Neural Stem Cell Resource supplies researchers with neural stem cells that are obtained from

A) umbilical cords.
B) postnatal, postmortem human brains.
C) mice.
D) living humans.

Question 36

The posterior-anterior shift in aging (PASA) is thought to reflect age-related

A) increases in inhibition.
B) hemispheric asymmetry.
C) compensation.
D) increases in intelligence.

Question 37

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.

A) frontal lobe; left cortex
B) parietal; occipital
C) cerebellum; amygdale
D) hippocampus; cerebellum

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT one of the models discussed in your textbook that seeks to explain how the brain reorganizes and compensates for age-related changes?

A) P-FIT
B) HAROLD
C) CRUNCH
D) STAC-r

Question 39

Atrophy of the temporal lobe has been connected to

A) decline in planning and executing plans.
B) Alzheimer's disease.
C) accelerated growth of stem cells.
D) cardiovascular disease.

Question 40

The effective functioning of the dopaminergic system in normal aging.

A) increases
B) declines
C) stays the same
D) misfires

Question 41

Winecoff's research found that fMRI data showed that emotion regulation modulates the functional interaction between the

A) reticular formation and the amygdala.
B) vestibular sensory array and the amygdala.
C) thalamus and the amygdala.
D) prefrontal cortex and the amygdala.

Question 42

Which part of the brain shows less age-related deterioration?

A) Amygdala
B) Occipital
C) Parietal
D) Prefrontal

Question 43

It is now widely accepted that bilateral activation in the aging brain

A) may serve a functional and supportive role in cognitive functioning.
B) may be the result of chronic illnesses in the individual.
C) is evidence that older brains are more efficient.
D) is no different than what is observed in younger brains.

Question 44

Why are the results from neurocorrelational studies considered speculative?

A) Because random sampling is not used
B) Because the measures used in these types of studies lack validity
C) Because we cannot be certain that the behavioral tests accurately assess the actual anatomical and functional activity of the brain region under investigation
D) Because correlational findings are more speculative than those acquired from experimental designs

Question 45

One way researchers study how brain activation patterns among key structures operate is to study them in people with

A) known neurological disorders.
B) unknown neurological disorders.
C) very high intelligence.
D) no known relatives.

Question 46

Which of the following approaches attempts to link measures of cognitive performance to measures of brain structure or functioning?

A) Neurocorrelational
B) Psychological
C) Neuropsychological
D) Neurobiosocial

Question 47

Executive functions include all of the following EXCEPT

A) making plans.
B) monitoring internal temperature.
C) carrying out plans.
D) switching between tasks.

Question 48

Neuroimaging has allowed us to

A) solve the nature-nuture controversy.
B) identify the causes of Alzheimer's disease.
C) see inside the brain of a living person to examine the structures of the brain.
D) examine one's genetic structure and predict which individuals will develop chronic diseases with age.

Question 49

Most neuroscience research has focused on the

A) right axon.
B) brain stem.
C) cerebral cortex.
D) focal area.

Question 50

Structural neuroimaging focuses on the of the brain.

A) blood flow
B) structure
C) development
D) function

Question 51

Very little research has examined the specific underlying neural mechanisms of

A) emotion.
B) decision making.
C) neural transmission.
D) sensation.

Question 52

Which area of neuroscience has revolutionized our understanding of the relationships between the brain and behavior?

A) Psychoanalytic theory
B) Social cognitive theory
C) Neuroimaging
D) Molecular anatomy

Question 53

Which region of the brain is implicated in emotional processing?

A) Cerebellum
B) Sensorimotor area
C) Lateral cortex
D) Prefrontal cortex

Question 54

is the neurotransmitter associated with higher-level cognitive functioning like inhibiting thoughts, attention, and planning.

A) Estrogen
B) Insulin
C) Cytosine
D) Dopamine

Question 55

The white matter area of the brain shows deterioration with increasing age. A neuroimaging method called assesses the rate and direction that water diffuses through the white matter.

A) fMRI
B) white matter hyperintensities
C) CT scan
D) diffusion tensor imaging

Question 56

For adult development and aging research, the most important elements of the limbic system are the

A) prefrontal and frontal cortex.
B) corpus callosum and cerebellum.
C) corpus callosum and frontal cortex.
D) amygdala and hippocampus.

Question 57

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.

A) Executive
B) Cognitive
C) Psychological
D) Conscious

Question 58

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.

A) Plasticity
B) Neurality
C) Neuroscience
D) Neurofibrillation

Question 59

Key structural, or anatomical, features of the neuron include all the following EXCEPT

A) axons.
B) dendrites.
C) terminal branches.
D) synapses.

Question 60

Which approach compares the brain functioning of healthy older adults with adults displaying various pathological disorders of the brain?

A) Neurobiological
B) Bioneurosocial
C) Psychological
D) Neuropsychological

Question 61

Compensation is the brain's response to .

A) disease
B) deterioration
C) inactivity
D) injury

Question 62

The main point of functional brain imaging research is to establish how age-related deterioration in specific brain structures affects a person's ability to perform various tasks,

A) measuring both at the same time.
B) after their abilities show loss.
C) by measuring activity in brain structures first and then the ability to perform various tasks second.
D) by measuring the ability to perform various tasks first and the activity in the brain second.

Question 63

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 prefrontal recruitment is

A) unpredictable.
B) impossible to measure.
C) predictable in younger adults but unpredictable in older adults.
D) context dependent.

Question 64

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.

A) intense
B) inactive
C) active
D) observed

Question 65

Research methods that focus on understanding age-related changes in the brain can help explain why certain __________ functions are preserved into old age.

A) cognitive
B) muscle
C) physical health
D) sensory

Question 66

The P-FIT theory created by Jung and Haier (2007) was based upon

A) a cross-sectional study of 120 Alzheimer's patients.
B) a meta-analysis of 37 research studies.
C) Piaget's theory of cognitive development.
D) a longitudinal study of 500 individuals with dementia.

Question 67

The two neuroimaging techniques that are most often used provide

A) detailed images of the anatomical features of the brain and indications of brain activity.
B) measurements of the diffusion of water molecules in brain tissue.
C) measures of heart beat and respiration changes in older adults.
D) evidence of the positivity effect.

Question 68

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.

A) increase; increased
B) decrease; increased
C) function; increased
D) increase; decreased

Question 69

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are linked to cerebrovascular diseases, which are preventable and can be treated with

A) surgery and medications.
B) medications and lifestyle changes.
C) cognitive behavioral therapy and changes in diet.
D) hypnosis and lifestyle changes.

Question 70

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?

A) "Let sleeping dogs lie."
B) "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
C) "Use it or lose it."
D) "All roads lead to Rome."

Question 71

The HAROLD model indicates that older brains recruit additional neural units to increase attentional resources, processing speed, or

A) STAC-r model.
B) P-FIT model.
C) PASA model.
D) CRUNCH model.

Question 72

In grocery stores and on television, there is a trend toward marketing "brain foods" to the general public. These "brain foods" contain, which protect your cells from free radicals.

A) Antioxidants
B) Omega-3 fats
C) B vitamins
D) Hormone replacements

Question 73

X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs are examples of

A) genetic imaging.
B) nonnormative brain development.
C) structural neuroimaging.
D) functional neuroimaging.

Question 74

When a person accurately remembers negative high-arousal items, this corresponds to increased activation of the

A) amygdala and the temporal region.
B) amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
C) amygdala and the occipital lobe.
D) amygdala and the sensory motor area.

Question 75

Structural brain changes have been linked to executive function. For example, age-related declines in may affect white matter structures, which underlie all the areas important to executive functioning.

A) serotonin
B) the functioning of blood vessels
C) cognitive abilities
D) unilateralization

Question 76

Which of the following is associated with neuroanatomy?

A) Brain structures and functioning
B) The effect of reinforcements, such as rewards and punishments, on behavior
C) Repressed impulses and their effect on the id, ego, and superego
D) The theory of the mind

Question 77

SPECT and PET are examples of

A) structural neuroimaging techniques.
B) functional neuroimaging techniques.
C) Alzheimer's assessments.
D) behavioral tests that assess frontal lobe atrophy.

Question 78

The HAROLD model indicates that older brains recruit additional neural units to increase attentional resources, processing speed, or

A) inhibitory control.
B) long-term memory capacity.
C) facial recognition.
D) intelligence.

Question 79

Donald is 71 years old and is more motivated to derive emotional meaning form life and to maintain positive feelings. Donald's feelings are characteristic of

A) the theory of mind effect.
B) the Hayflick effect.
C) the positivity effect.
D) dopaminergic effect.

Question 80

Research has found that declines in the dopaminergic system are related to declines in memory and tasks.

A) long-term; speed
B) semantic; attention
C) episodic; thought
D) episodic; speed