Deck 15: Neurocognitive Disorders

Question 1

The characteristics of "successful aging" do NOT include ______.

A) freedom from disability or disease
B) high cognitive and physical functioning
C) ability to engage in extreme sports
D) social activity, including having friends and being productive

Answer 1

ability to engage in extreme sports

Question 2

Neurocognitive disorders were once called ______.

A) mental disabilities
B) dementias
C) delirium
D) intellectual disorders

Answer 2

dementias

Question 3

According to the text, life expectancies have risen over the last century due to ______.

A) advances in medicine, sanitation, and clean water
B) decreasing numbers of animal populations that carry diseases dangerous to humans
C) decreased levels of global armed conflict
D) genetically modified foods

Answer 3

advances in medicine, sanitation, and clean water

Question 4

In February 2017, Debbie Harry announced that her band Blondie had released a new full-length album of original material. Blondie has been releasing new material every few years since their heyday at the turn of the 1980s. Having turned 70 in 2016, Debbie Harry exemplifies ______ aging.

A) successful
B) normative
C) neurocognitive
D) optimal

Question 5

When Elsie sits quietly, doing nothing in particular, the ______ network is active in her brain.

A) prion
B) frontal
C) default
D) occipital

Question 6

Globally, those over the age of 65 will outnumber those under 5 by the year ______.

A) 2020
B) 2025
C) 2035
D) 2050

Question 7

In the vignette at the beginning of the textbook's chapter on neurocognitive disorders, Ronald Regan speaks to the American people about his diagnosis of ______.

A) Pick's disease
B) reduplicative paramnesia
C) Alzheimer's disease
D) delirium tremens

Question 8

Worldwide, the proportion of the population over the age of 65 has ______ since 1900.

A) decreased
B) remained constant
C) increased slightly
D) increased greatly

Question 9

In which nation is the proportion of the population over the age of 65 still below 20%?

A) Italy
B) Japan
C) Germany
D) United States

Question 10

Unlike other cognitive abilities such as memory and attention, vocabulary ability tends to ______ as we age.

A) improve dramatically
B) improve slightly
C) deteriorate slightly
D) deteriorate dramatically

Question 11

People who remain productive well into their 80s and even 90s exemplify ______ aging.

A) normative
B) neurocognitive
C) optimal
D) successful

Question 12

Noreen is 42. She is interested in how her memory might change as she progresses from middle to later adulthood. A cognitive gerontologist might tell her that her episodic memory should ______.

A) remain constant until she is at least 80 years of age
B) remain relatively constant until about age 60 and then decline
C) improve slightly until she is about 70, then plateau
D) decline steadily from her middle-40s onward

Question 13

Low levels of the five-factor personality trait of ______ are associated with better cognitive aging.

A) conscientiousness
B) openness
C) agreeableness
D) neuroticism

Question 14

As people age, the ______ in the brain shows a noticeable reduction in volume.

A) hippocampus
B) entorhinal cortex
C) visual cortex
D) striate cortex

Question 15

As we age, perceptual speed (i.e., processing speed) tends to ______.

A) increase
B) decrease
C) remain constant
D) decrease sharply until age 75, then remain constant

Question 16

As we age, episodic memory (i.e., the ability to remember information from stories or events in one's life) tends to ______.

A) deteriorate steadily
B) improve steadily
C) improve dramatically
D) remain constant until age 60 and then decline

Question 17

Why do older adults tend to use more brain areas to solve a given problem than younger adults do?

A) Older adults are not as intelligent as younger adults.
B) Older adults have lower IQs than younger adults.
C) Older adults need additional executive resources to perform the same task.
D) Older adults are more distractible than younger adults.

Question 18

In a study cited in the text (Deary et al., 2015), a cohort of individuals was given an IQ test at age 11 and again at age 79. The authors of this study reported that individuals with a certain variant of the APOE gene showed a decrease in IQ scores between ages 11 and 79, whereas individuals with another variant of this gene showed no change in IQ scores between ages 11 and 79. These results suggest that ______.

A) diet and exercise are solely responsible for staving off neurocognitive impairment
B) everyone will show at least some impairment in cognitive by age 79
C) genetics play a role in how IQ is maintained across the lifespan
D) there is no obvious role for genetics in neurocognitive functioning

Question 19

One of the first brain regions affected by Alzheimer's disease is the ______ cortex, located in the ______ lobe.

A) entorhinal; occipital
B) entorhinal; temporal
C) visual; occipital
D) visual; temporal

Question 20

Suppose you are a neuroscientist, and you are studying brain activation differences between younger adults and older adults. You notice that while performing the same set of tasks, the older adults tend to use more of their brains than the younger adults. This phenomenon is known as ______ among older adults.

A) compensation
B) deletion
C) addition
D) neural subtraction

Question 21

Unlike dementia, delirium frequently occurs in older populations ______.

A) following a drug overdose
B) before the death of a loved one
C) following a spiritual awakening
D) as a complication of hospitalization

Question 22

Which statement is true about plaques and tangles in the brains of older adults?

A) They are only present among older adults with Alzheimer's disease.
B) They are only present during the final stages of Alzheimer's disease.
C) They are also observed in the brains of healthy older adults.
D) They are always reflective of some neurodegenerative disease process.

Question 23

Of the patients in intensive care units in hospitals, delirium is seen in ______.

A) a few
B) some
C) about half.
D) most.

Question 24

Neuroimaging research has allowed us to learn that, compared to the brains of healthy elderly controls, the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease ______.

A) show increases in default network activity
B) show decreases in default network activity
C) are surprisingly similar
D) are larger and more convoluted

Question 25

A decline in cognitive abilities beyond what would be expected from normal aging would be termed ______.

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) delirium
C) Parkinson's disease
D) mild neurocognitive disorder

Question 26

What is the core protein of neurofibrillary tangles?

A) eta
B) tau
C) kinesin
D) neuronin

Question 27

Dorothy is an 80-year-old patient in general medical-surgical ward in a large hospital. Shortly after her admission, she becomes confused and displays memory loss and difficulty focusing her attention. These symptoms dissipate within 2 days. Dorothy is MOST likely experiencing ______.

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder
C) delirium
D) Pick's disease

Question 28

Another name for neuritic plaque is ______.

A) ventricular adenoma.
B) neurofibrillary tangle.
C) tau protein.
D) beta-amyloid plaque.

Question 29

Although a variety of cognitive impairments are seen in delirium, delirium is primarily seen as a disorder of ______.

A) language comprehension and production
B) decision making and problem solving
C) memory
D) attention and awareness

Question 30

Alzheimer's disease is believed to affect about ______% of people in their 90s.

A) 25
B) 35
C) 40
D) 60

Question 31

The MOST common form of neurocognitive disorder is ______.

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) Frontotemporal dementia
C) Lewy Body dementia
D) Huntington's dementia

Question 32

The two major markers of Alzheimer's disease in the brains of Alzheimer's patients are ______.

A) neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
B) ventriculomegaly and midline shift
C) cerebral atrophy and tumor
D) memory loss and unusual behavior

Question 33

______ is usually observed to occur suddenly and quickly resolve, whereas ______ is usually observed to occur gradually and does not resolve.

A) Dementia; delirium
B) Delirium; dementia
C) Dementia; Alzheimer's disease
D) Alzheimer's disease; delirium

Question 34

Delirium usually begins ______ and generally lasts for ______.

A) gradually; weeks or months
B) gradually; months or years
C) suddenly; hours or days
D) suddenly; weeks or months

Question 35

According to your text, depressed individuals over the age of 85 ______.

A) rarely experience delirium
B) show impaired memory and executive functioning
C) tend to have depressed adult children
D) are at an increased risk of falls

Question 36

A primary difference between mild neurocognitive disorder and major neurocognitive disorder is that individuals with ______.

A) minor neurocognitive disorder are still able to function independently
B) major neurocognitive disorder tend to be older
C) major neurocognitive disorder tend to have more medical issues
D) minor neurocognitive disorder have never experienced a delirium

Question 37

The incidence of mild and moderate neurocognitive disorders tends to ______ as we age.

A) decrease
B) increase
C) remain constant
D) vary erratically

Question 38

Which conclusion is implied by the fact that immediate family members of people with Alzheimer's disease have a three-fold higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than does the general population?

A) There is no known cause of Alzheimer's disease.
B) Alzheimer's disease is likely caused by exposure to toxins in the environment.
C) There is likely a genetic component to Alzheimer's disease.
D) Alzheimer's disease has a tendency to "skip" generations.

Question 39

The full course of Alzheimer's disease usually lasts ______ years.

A) 1-2
B) 5-10
C) 10-20
D) 40-50

Question 40

Delirium is MOST often reflects ______.

A) medical conditions or medical treatment
B) the normal aging of the brain
C) neuronal loss in the frontal lobe
D) the presence of plaques and tangles in the brain

Question 41

Neurons that project from the substantia nigra to the basal ganglia use the neurotransmitter ______.

A) acetylcholine
B) serotonin
C) dopamine
D) norepinephrine

Question 42

Unlike frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder, in Huntington's disease there are relatively few problems with ______.

A) spatial ability
B) language ability
C) memory ability
D) divided attention

Question 43

The symptoms of Huntington's disease usually emerge around age ______.

A) 40
B) 55
C) 65
D) 85

Question 44

The cognitive features of neurocognitive disorder due to Parkinson's disease are similar to those of ______.

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) Huntington's disease
C) Lewy body dementia
D) HIV-related dementia

Question 45

The medical name for "mad cow disease" is ______.

A) bovine spongiform encephalopathy
B) feline immunodeficiency virus
C) Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
D) arachnoform myopathy

Question 46

The second-most common type of neurocognitive disorders is ______.

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) HIV-related dementia
C) vascular disease
D) Pick's disease

Question 47

What is one important difference between vascular neurocognitive disorder and Alzheimer's disease?

A) Alzheimer's disease is more deadly.
B) Vascular neurocognitive disease is more deadly.
C) The symptoms of vascular neurocognitive disorder usually appear more gradually.
D) The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease usually appear more gradually.

Question 48

One way of treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease involves ______.

A) lesioning inhibitory circuits in the basal reticular activating system
B) proper diet and exercise
C) taking drugs that replace lost dopamine levels
D) taking drugs that replace lost serotonin levels

Question 49

A concussion results when ______.

A) a sharp object penetrates the skull
B) the brain impacts against the inside of the skull
C) a football player takes a direct hit
D) a field hockey player is struck in the head with a stick

Question 50

Prion disease is spread by ______.

A) coming into contact with the body fluids of an infected person
B) eating the brain tissue of an infected organism
C) infected individuals passing on their genes to their children
D) coming into contact with environmental toxins like lead and mercury

Question 51

Approximately how many traumatic brain injuries occur in the United States each year?

A) 500,000
B) 1 million
C) 1.7 million
D) 3.6 million

Question 52

The syndrome known as "punch-drunk" is often seen among ______.

A) motorcross riders
B) rodeo cowboys
C) NFL wide receivers
D) aging boxers

Question 53

Which statement is true regarding Lewy body dementia?

A) Lewy bodies are never observed in the neurons of healthy older adults.
B) Lewy body dementia is not associated with memory impairments.
C) Lewy body dementia affects up to 25% of older adults over age 75.
D) Patients with Lewy body dementia often experience hallucinations.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT recognized as a symptom of Parkinson's disease?

A) resting tremor
B) slowness of movement
C) poor balance and coordination
D) hypersexuality

Question 55

Parkinson's disease results from a degeneration of neurons in the ______.

A) paraventricular nucleus
B) substantia nigra
C) hippocampus
D) entorhinal cortex

Question 56

A person is MOST susceptible to a second concussion for approximately ______ days after having a first concussion

A) 2
B) 7
C) 10
D) 14

Question 57

The substantia nigra is located in the ______.

A) basal ganglia
B) cerebral cortex
C) brain stem
D) spinal cord

Question 58

Unlike many neurocognitive disorders, Huntington's disease is caused by ______.

A) a single gene
B) a single environmental toxin
C) a combination of genetic and environmental factors
D) bacterial infection

Question 59

A child born to a parent with Huntington's disease has a ______% chance of developing the disorder.

A) 15
B) 25
C) 50
D) 100

Question 60

Surprisingly, the symptoms of Parkinson's disease do not typically emerge until ______% of the neurons in the substantia nigra are lost.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 25
D) 60

Question 61

The STRONGEST evidence supporting a relationship between physical exercise and successful cognitive aging is BEST described as ______.

A) experimental
B) anecdotal
C) observation.
D) correlational

Question 62

______ protects against neurocognitive disorders as one moves into older adulthood.

A) Being financially successful
B) Being the middle child
C) Being male
D) Good diet and exercise

Question 63

With respect to its effect on cognitive abilities, physical exercise may be especially beneficial for ______.

A) processing speed
B) memory
C) executive functioning
D) attention

Question 64

Based on the textbook's discussion, ______ would NOT be expected to reduce one's risk of developing a neurocognitive disorder.

A) proper diet
B) physical exercise
C) social interaction
D) financial success

Question 65

Imagine you are a coroner tasked with identifying the cause of death of an elderly person who recently passed away. When examining the person's brain tissue, you notice that it is full of tiny holes and resembles Swiss cheese or bread. This person most likely had ______.

A) Alzheimer's disease
B) Parkinson's disease
C) frontotemporal dementia
D) prion disease

Question 66

The ONLY neurocognitive disorder that can be cured is ______.

A) delirium
B) Alzheimer's disease
C) Lewy body disease
D) Parkinson's disease

Question 67

High blood pressure in midlife is MOST likely associated with ______ neurocognitive disorder in later adulthood.

A) vascular
B) frontotemporal
C) Lewy body
D) substance-induced

Question 68

Individuals higher in intelligence may experience less decline in cognitive abilities then do individuals lower in intelligence. This BEST reflects the concept of ______

A) buffering
B) reserve
C) protection
D) executive function

Question 69

According to the textbook, about ______% of all neurocognitive disorders are preventable through such lifestyle choices as proper diet, exercise, and abstaining from tobacco use.

A) 15
B) 25
C) 35
D) 50

Question 70

Acetylcholinergic drugs are to dopaminergic drugs as ______ disease is to ______ disease.

A) Parkinson's; Alzheimer's
B) Alzheimer's; Parkinson's
C) Alzheimer's; Lewy body
D) Lewy body; Parkinson's

Question 71

Which phrase BEST captures the proportion of those over 90 who suffer from dementia?

A) a small minority
B) close to half
C) a majority
D) almost all

Question 72

People who drink moderate amounts of ______ live longer than those who abstain.

A) alcohol but not coffee
B) coffee but not alcohol
C) either coffee or alcohol
D) neither alcohol nor coffee

Question 73

Considerations informing the potential use of medication to treat neurocognitive disorders do NOT include that fact that ______.

A) It is difficult to distinguish dementia from depression.
B) Medications may have more adverse side effects among older adults.
C) The most common neurocognitive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, does NOT respond to medication.
D) The bodies of older adults respond differently to medication than do the bodies of younger adults.

Question 74

Prion diseases affect roughly one in ______ people.

A) 10,000
B) 100,000
C) 1,000,000
D) 10,000,000

Question 75

Why is Prion disease is common among certain isolated tribes in Papua New Guinea ?

A) It is common during the tribes' religious rituals to eat the brains of the deceased.
B) These individuals have a genetic susceptibility to the disease.
C) These individuals are exposed to toxins that are not present anywhere else on the planet.
D) Certain kinds of brain injuries are more common among these tribes than among the rest of the world population.

Question 76

The textbook states that, "Following more than 700 older individuals without neurocognitive disorders for several years, Aaron Buchman and his colleagues (2012) found that daily physical activity slowed cognitive decline." Buchman et al.'s study is an example of a(n) ______ study.

A) linkage
B) longitudinal
C) cross-sectional
D) observational

Question 77

Exercise is believed to slow cognitive decline by ______.

A) improving immune functioning
B) increasing the availability of glutamate in the synapse
C) decreasing the availability of glutamate in the synapse
D) increasing blood flow to the whole brain

Question 78

The textbook notes that eye contact, reducing distractions, and paraphrasing what was said can improve the ability of people with neurocognitive disorders to hold conversations with others. These strategies BEST reflect the idea of ______.

A) reserve capacity
B) compensation
C) working capacity
D) executive function

Question 79

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is considered a(n) ______.

A) autoimmune disease
B) prion disease
C) bacterial infection
D) congenital birth defect

Question 80

Scores on a measure of social integration are ______ associated with the extent of cognitive losses in adulthood. Assume that higher scores on the measure indicate greater social integration.

A) negatively
B) not
C) positively
D) perfectly