PSY BEH 103H Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Degenerative Disease, Cerebral Cortex, Music Therapy
4 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Have impact not on just person with disorder but on their family. Degenerative disease of brain, over time increasing damage to brain. Early onset - before age 60, rare, genetic component. Late onset - after age 60, more common, may have genetic component but lifestyle factors also play a role. Can only be definitively diagnosed through autopsy. Microscopic examination of the brain reveals plaques and tangles of nerve fibers in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Atrophy of the brain due to loss of tissue. Behavioral - irritability, sleep difficulty, paranoia, inappropriate sexual behavior. Age - by age 85, 50% of individuals will show sign. Environmental factors - stroke, head injury, type 2 diabetes, and. Lifestyle factors - exercising, cognitive activity (minimal, not enough data), low level of alcohol consumption decrease risk. Depression is common, those in early stages become aware of what is coming. Current treatment - drugs to slow progression of memory loss and to retain cognitive abilities.
