What's on Your Mind - A Quiz on Aging and the Brain

1. “You can't teach an old dog new tricks” is a saying

a) that recent scientific experiments have shown to be true for older people.

b) that only applies to dogs, cats and other non-human species.

c) that is outdated and scientifically incorrect.

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2. How does aging affect intelligence?

a) Brains in older people don't work as fast, but knowledge based on experience grows later in life.

b) Older people are really more intelligent because they have been using their brain for so many years.

c) Older people learn significantly less than they did when they were younger.

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3. Creativity in old age is

a) enhanced by experience.

b) a lost art.

c) difficult because of changes in the brain.

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4. Depression is a problem for many older people.

a) The condition is acceptable, given their age and illness.

b) just a normal part of growing older and is irreversible.

c) Frequently treatable once its cause is pinpointed.

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5. Psychotherapy, or “talk” therapy for people over 65 is a waste of time.

a) People that age don't have much time left.

b) a good idea. At age 65, people can have many years of living ahead of them, making it even more important that they seek help for mental health problems.

c) a waste of effort. Older people are so set in their ways that there really isn't much point in trying to deal with their mental health problems.

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6.Nerve cells in the adult brain gradually die over the years. What is the result?

a) It means that significant memory loss in old age is inevitable.

b) For most individuals, this doesn't mean much because people continue to learn, as they grow older.

c) Over time and with proper diet, physical exercise and mental stimulation the brain replenishes the nerve cells it loses.

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7.Which of the following has been shown to cause Alzheimer's disease in some patients?

a) Alcohol or drug abuse.

b) Aluminum deposits in the brain.

c) A genetic defect in some families.

d) Lack of education.

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8. Most typically, memory loss in older people is caused by

a) Alzheimer's disease.

b) Too many things to remember.

c) A variety of factors, such as overmedication or illness.

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9. Which of the following is true?

a) Alzheimer's disease can be cured if diagnosed early enough.

b) Alzheimer's disease can be treated to slow the progess of the disease.

c) There is no known cure for Alzheimer's disease.

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10. What is the best method for conclusively diagnosing Alzheimer's disease?

a) The Myers-Briggs personality test.

b) diagnostic blood test.

c) Psychiatric evaluation.

d) Tissue analysis after death.

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11. True or False? Solving puzzles and other “mental gymnastics” keeps the aging brain healthy.

a) False. Mental exercises won't keep your brain sharp in later life.

b) True. Intellectual and creative pursuits help adults avoid dementing diseases.

c) Neither. While many scientists believe that mental exercises may be of value in maintaining health, the idea has yet to be demonstrated in studies of people as they age.

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12. Personality changes in later life are

a) rare in healthy people. People stay pretty much the same throughout life.

b) normal because experience makes people very different than they were as children and young adults.

c) inevitable because people become cranky and difficult as they age.

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13. Dreading death is a preoccupation among

a) older adults, who as they get older, see friends dying.

b) many healthy adults in middle age who are struggling with “midlife crisis.”

c) both of the above.

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14. The risk of suicide for people age 65 and older is

a) the lowest of all age groups.

b) the highest of all age groups.

c) too small to be measured.

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15. True or False? Older people worry too much.

a) False. Worry is not really a characteristic of old age.

b) True. People become much more anxious as they age.

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16. A “tip of the tongue” (TOT) experience when you know a word or name but just can't seem to retrieve it from your memory when

a) is always a sign of Alzheimer's disease in an older person.

b) is usually a temporary glitch.

c) means that once you have forgotten a name or word you will never remember it again quickly.

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17. Sexual problems in older adults

a) are a normal part of aging. Women lose interest in sex after menopause and men are often impotent.

b) are commonly caused by emotional or mental health problems.

c) are caused by changes in brain function that affect parts of the brain associated with sexual satisfaction.

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18. By the middle of the 21st century, unless research can bring new breakthroughs to cure Alzheimer's disease or delay it's onset, the number of people with the disease is projected to reach

a) the 1990 population of the Los Angeles metropolitan area (about 14 million).

b) the 1990 population of the city of Chicago (almost 3 million).

c) the 1990 population of the Philadelphia area (almost 6 million).

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19. A stroke is a sudden disruption in the flow of blood to the brain. The likelihood of a stroke can be reduced

a) by quitting smoking, adopting sensible eating habits-low cholesterol and low fat diets-and controlling high blood pressure.

b) by keeping under control and not allowing a bad temper to explode.

c) somewhat. Research shows that the deathrate from stroke has fallen only slightly despite preventive measures.

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20. Many older people complain that they don't sleep as well as they used to. Their sleep may be troubled because

a) they take more medications.

b) they are more anxious about retirement and other major life changes.

c) they have a variety of medical problems, such as arthritis or cardiovascular disease, that are common with age.

d) all of the above.

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