A reflection on "Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia" from the Barrow Neurological Institute
 |
| Retrieved from: Few Americans have heard of brain condition that can lead to Alzheimer's disease : Shots - Health News : NPR |
To further my learning on aging and cognitive impairment, I decided to watch the video "Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia" on YouTube from the Barrow Neurological Insitute. During this video, Dr. Burke, the director of the Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders Program, talked about the normal aging process, cognitive impairment, and dementia. She mentions that the brain starts to shrink as early as 30 years old, and someone may also experience difficulty with memory and thinking as early as 40. Other cognitive changes in normal aging include slowing of cognitive speed, difficulty with complex attention, sensory changes, and even working memory. Even though this may happen, we don't just go from normal age functioning straight to dementia. This would only happen if someone had a stroke or a traumatic brain injury.
Instead, most go through mild cognitive impairment (MCI). During this stage, a pen-and-paper cognitive test will show difficulty with memory or thinking. This is also an early stage of memory or cognitive ability loss. Examples of MCI could be losing things often, forgetting appointments, and having trouble coming up with words while talking. Even though the person experiencing this, or their family members may notice the changes, it usually doesn't impact daily activities or occupations. These changes usually aren't "bad" enough (2023). Someone with MCI could result in dementia. Dr. Burke described dementia as a "broad umbrella term like cancer" (Barrow Neurological Institute, 2022). People may experience many different symptoms and experiences with dementia. It's not just one specific disease. Dr. Burke also mentioned that dementia can be characterized by a progressive loss of thinking and memory, results in the inability to function on a daily basis, almost always results in changes in emotions and personality, and can even eventually cause neurological dysfunction. In my previous Neurobiology class, we talked about the different parts of the brain and what they are associated with. Because dementia affects memory and judgment/behavior, I would suspect that the hippocampus and frontal lobe would be damaged by this disease. I also learned that dementia and Alzheimer's can result in someone experiencing apraxia (difficulty in knowing how to use an object), agnosia (inability to understand expressing different sensations), impaired executive function (inability to multitask, plan, and organize), and judgment. These are things that we talked about previously in my class.
After watching this video, I do recommend it to others in their learning process. This video will help a viewer learn about what's "normal" in normal aging vs. mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Dr. Burke broke down the aging process step by step and what to expect in that process, which was very helpful. I personally chose this video because I've always found the aging process interesting. I've learned that everyone's aging process is not the same, it's unique for everyone.
References
Barrow Neurological Institute. (2022). Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxsZltYGWVI
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023, January 18). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mild-cognitive-impairment/symptoms-causes/syc-20354578
Comments
Post a Comment