title: Memory, thinking, and aging. What we know about what we know.
abstract: Cognition is the foundation that underlies all daily activities, from the most basic to the most complex. Successful aging depends, in large part, on maintaining a level of cognitive ability that allows a person to interact effectively and appropriately with the environment. In the following article we provide an overview of the effects of aging on cognition; discuss physical, social, and psychological factors that have been shown to influence cognition in old age; and review current literature on interventions that may optimize successful cognitive aging. We conclude with a discussion of abnormal cognitive aging and review current research on risk factors and treatments of Alzheimer's disease and other dementing illnesses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195-6560, USA. lteri@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teri
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McCurry
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Logsdon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology