Deck 15: Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood

Question 1

Most individuals need reading glasses or bifocals by the age of 35 or 40.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

During the perimenopausal period, problems such as mental confusion or emotional instability often can be attributed to loss of sleep caused by night-time hot flashes.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The volume of cerebrospinal fluid tends to increase throughout the lifespan.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The brains of alcoholics and nonalcoholics differ in the distribution of electrical activity.

Question 5

Many Canadians have one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Question 6

Studies have proven that dietary fat is a significant risk factor for both heart disease and cancer.

Question 7

Presbyopia and presbycusis are examples of secondary aging processes.

Question 8

The risk of osteoporosis-related fractures begins earlier for women than for men.

Question 9

Studies have found that women who use hormone replacement therapy have no elevated risks for breast cancer or ovarian cancer.

Question 10

The human brain begins to decline in synaptic density and in weight at approximately age 70.

Question 11

The normal range for occurrence of menopause is between the ages of 40 and 60.

Question 12

"Climacteric" is a term used to describe the adult period during which reproductive capacity declines or is lost.

Question 13

The factor that causes the changes in sexual functioning associated with the male climacteric is most likely a decline in testosterone levels.

Question 14

In middle adulthood there is no formation of new synapses, only loss of old connections.

Question 15

In Canada, and most industrialized countries, the rate of cardiovascular disease has increased rapidly since the 1970s.

Question 16

Weight-bearing exercises have no effect on the onset of osteoporosis.

Question 17

The performance of cognitive tasks activates a larger area of the brain in middle-aged adults than in younger adults.

Question 18

Among healthy middle-aged men, performance anxiety is a frequent cause of erectile dysfunction.

Question 19

Hearing loss is a result only of primary aging.

Question 20

Research studies find no connection between menopausal status and a rise in depression or other psychological symptoms.

Question 21

Menopause is generally considered to be a single event.

Question 22

The rates of chronic diseases and disabilities (diabetes, arthritis) among middle-age adults have risen significantly since the 1970s.

Question 23

The leading cause of death of Canadians in middle and old age is cardiovascular diseases.

Question 24

Due to the positive effects of cardiovascular fitness, you can tell a middle-aged friend that exercise will help him maintain his cognitive abilities.

Question 25

The decline in sexual activity in middle adulthood can be explained by the fact that the demands of other roles are simply so pressing that middle-aged adults find it hard to find time for sex.

Question 26

Men are more likely than women to have poor health, to have nonfatal chronic conditions such as arthritis, and to be limited in daily activities as a result of their health problems.

Question 27

Natural supplements (food, herb, and vitamin) have proven to be as effective as Viagra in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Question 28

A middle-aged adult is more likely to have difficulty retrieving a semantic memory than an episodic memory.

Question 29

The lifetime probability of developing cancer is 45% for men and 40% for women.

Question 30

Research demonstrates that many individuals in the field of science produce their best work around the age of 40, not because the mind works better at that age, but because productivity is at its highest.

Question 31

Some parts of the brain of middle-aged alcoholics are smaller and less responsive to stimuli than those of nonalcoholics.

Question 32

The recollection of personal events uses semantic memory.

Question 33

In early adulthood, the gender difference in disease rate can be largely attributed to health problems associated with child-bearing.

Question 34

Although diet and exercise help prevent osteoporosis, once the disease is actually diagnosed treatments have proven ineffective.

Question 35

A man's life expectancy is greater than a woman's.

Question 36

Osteoporosis affects women more than men.

Question 37

Studies have found that the death rates of men with alcoholism who are in their 50s and early 60s are five to six times higher than among nonalcoholics.

Question 38

The creative process is a highly individualized intellectual activity.

Question 39

Bone loss begins at about age 30 for both men and women.

Question 40

Men may die earlier than women, but women generally suffer from more disease and disabilities.

Question 41

Overall, both Canadian men and women report improved mental health with increasing age.

Question 42

According to experts, which of the following is the best explanation for the cognitive and emotional effects of perimenopause, such as feelings of emotional instability or mental confusion?

A) lack of sleep as a result of hot flashes
B) depression due to bodily changes
C) loss of blood caused by menstrual flooding
D) changes in sex drive

Question 43

Which of the following physical conditions is strongly associated with the perimenopausal phase of menopause?

A) hot flashes
B) high blood pressure
C) osteoporosis
D) mood swings

Question 44

Fifty-year-old Mr. Jones has experienced changes in his sexual functioning, such as difficulty attaining and maintaining an erection. These changes might indicate that Mr. Jones is experiencing

A) high blood pressure
B) Viagra withdrawal
C) seminal fluid blockage
D) climacteric symptoms

Question 45

What reproductive event in middle adulthood is climacteric?

A) a loss of interest in sexual activity
B) an increase in the number of miscarriages
C) the occurrence of menopause
D) a decreased incidence of impotence

Question 46

What do experts believe causes the menstrual irregularity associated with the premenopausal phase of menopause?

A) hot flashes
B) fluctuations in estrogen production
C) decreased progesterone
D) stress and fatigue

Question 47

Developmentalists know that behavioural choices and mental health conditions affect the brain. Which of the following statements is true?

A) The brains of alcoholics and non-alcoholics differ in electrical activity.
B) The brains of depressed individuals and non-depressed individuals show no structural or electrical differences.
C) A number of serious mental illnesses are associated with differences in electrical activity.
D) The brains of alcoholics and non-alcoholics differed in electrical activity before the onset of the alcoholism.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a change that occurs in the human brain during middle adulthood?

A) formation of new synapses
B) increased production of neurotransmitters
C) decrease in brain weight
D) decline in density of grey matter

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a factor that is likely to contribute to a male's problems with sexual functioning?

A) smoking
B) alcohol abuse
C) decline in testosterone levels
D) high-fibre diet

Question 50

The onset of premenopausal phase occurs at what age?

A) early 30s
B) late 30s or early 40s
C) after the age of 50
D) 45-50 years old

Question 51

In general, most middle to older adults maintain or even gain in skill on any task that they practice often.

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a way in which age-based changes in neurological processing affect cognitive functioning in middle adulthood?

A) Middle-aged adults may have less ability to control attentional processes by inhibiting brain responses to irrelevant stimuli.
B) Cognitive tasks activate a larger area of brain tissue in middle-aged adults than they do in younger adults.
C) Middle-aged drivers have more lapses of concentration and make poorer judgments than younger drivers.
D) Difficult cognitive tasks, such as recalling non-associated words (e.g., fish-bicycle), require the activation of larger areas of the brain than easy tasks.

Question 53

The process of balancing the gains and losses associated with aging is called "selective optimization with compensation."

Question 54

Among males, gradual loss in muscle tone, increased susceptibilities to erectile dysfunction, and heart disease are factors associated with

A) a decline in seminal fluid production.
B) grey matter shrinkage.
C) a decline in testosterone production.
D) increased rates of obesity in middle age and beyond.

Question 55

Middle-aged adults consistently outperform those who are younger on tasks that involve comprehending and remembering reading material

Question 56

Research has shown that there is now little doubt that several types of cancers are caused by infectious agents and are therefore largely preventable.

Question 57

Which of the following best explains why a woman younger than 40 years of age has ceased to have monthly menstrual cycles?

A) family history
B) premature menopause
C) reproductive diseases
D) perimenopause

Question 58

What appears to be the primary cause of menopause in women?

A) decreasing estrogen levels
B) increasing testosterone levels
C) cessation of ova production
D) increasing estrogen levels

Question 59

A greater risk of coronary heart disease is associated with type A and B personality patterns.

Question 60

Which of the following is a factor associated with the male climacteric?

A) enlargement of the testes
B) increased production of testosterone
C) increased volume of seminal fluid coupled by a decrease in sperm production
D) difficulty attaining and maintaining an erection

Question 61

Which of the following factors is linked most directly to osteoporosis in women?

A) obesity
B) age of menopause
C) diet in young adulthood
D) estrogen and progesterone levels

Question 62

Which item is out of place in this list?

A) stroke
B) heart attack
C) atherosclerosis
D) primary aging

Question 63

Which of the following is a risk factor for osteoporosis?

A) high-calcium diet
B) obesity
C) late onset of menopause
D) sedentary lifestyle

Question 64

Alexander, age 55, believes there is something wrong with the telephone because he is experiencing difficulty hearing his 3-year-old granddaughter's voice when she calls. Alexander should be examined for

A) neuropathy
B) auricularis
C) presbycusis
D) presbyopia

Question 65

Maria has always had excellent vision, but after her forty-fifth birthday she found herself unable to read the morning newspaper at her habitual focal distance. Maria should be checked for

A) presbyopia.
B) presbycusis.
C) nearsightedness.
D) glaucoma.

Question 66

What condition results when deposits of plaque cause the arteries to narrow or become blocked?

A) atherosclerosis
B) pulmonary embolism
C) diabetes
D) osteoarthritis

Question 67

Which of the following is not a physical effect that is attributed to the reduction in estrogen during the phases of menopause?

A) The walls of the vagina are less elastic and produce less lubrication.
B) Multiple ova are produced during the menstrual cycles.
C) The breasts become less firm.
D) The vagina becomes shorter and smaller in diameter.

Question 68

Osteoporosis could best be described as

A) a porous bone condition that affects only menopausal women.
B) the loss of bone mass and density that is accelerated with age.
C) a secondary aging bone condition that is negatively linked to hormone replacement therapy.
D) a degenerative bone disease of aging that is uncontrollable, inevitable, and irreversible.

Question 69

In middle age, what are the two leading causes of death?

A) heart disease and all categories of unintentional injuries
B) motor vehicle accidents and cancer
C) heart disease and cancer
D) heart disease and strokes

Question 70

The general pattern of presbycusis is that loss accelerates after age

A) 50.
B) 30.
C) 20.
D) 40.

Question 71

Which of the following factors/treatments is known to decrease bone loss to premenopausal levels?

A) medications like Fosamax
B) regular weight-bearing exercise
C) use of hormone replacement therapy
D) a diet with sufficient calcium to build bone mass in young adulthood

Question 72

Which of the following physical or psychological effects is NOT associated with the use of hormone replacement therapy?

A) reduced mood swings
B) reduced sex drive
C) reduced risk of coronary heart disease
D) reduced bone loss from osteoporosis

Question 73

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about osteoporosis?

A) The major consequence of osteoporosis is a significantly increased risk of fractures.
B) Men are unaffected by osteoporosis.
C) Osteoporosis in women is accelerated by menopause.
D) Women can prevent osteoporosis by getting sufficient calcium during early adulthood and by engaging in weight-bearing exercise.

Question 74

What are the two age-related changes in the eyes that are collectively known as presbyopia?

A) clouding of the retina and loss of light/dark adaptation
B) thickening and loss of flexibility of the eye lens
C) thickening and yellowing of the retina
D) clouding of the retina and yellowing of the eye lens

Question 75

Martha notices her father Rick, age 50, holding his newspaper further and further away to get a clear image. Martha's father is likely experiencing

A) cataracts
B) presbycusis
C) nearsightedness
D) presbyopia

Question 76

Which of the following is NOT an effect or consequence of presbyopia?

A) The pressure of fluid within the eye reaches an abnormally high level, and an individual experiences headaches and eye strain.
B) The lens of the eye becomes less elastic and less able to make focal adjustments to focus clearly on near objects.
C) An individual is less able to quickly adapt to variations in light or glare, which makes night driving particularly difficult.
D) The lens of the eye thickens and becomes slightly yellowed, and an individual is less sensitive to colours such as blue or violet.

Question 77

What condition results when the auditory nerves and inner-ear structures degenerate, and an individual loses the ability to hear sounds of high and very low frequencies?

A) presbycusis
B) presbyopia
C) audiometry
D) neuropathy

Question 78

Middle-aged adults have higher rates of ________ than young adults.

A) major depression
B) acute illnesses
C) chronic illnesses
D) accidents

Question 79

According to studies, the psychological effects of menopause cannot be attributed to

A) the level of uncomfortable physical symptoms.
B) an increased likelihood of major depression.
C) a personality predisposed to negativity.
D) life stressors.

Question 80

Which of the following individuals is in the postmenopausal phase?

A) Ms. Alvarez, who has not had a menstrual period for a year
B) Ms. Washington, who is 55 years old
C) Ms. Ali, who began to experience hot flashes and sleep disturbances six months ago
D) Ms. Maracle, who has experienced irregular menstrual periods for a year