Blogs

A directory of all of Dr. Casciani’s Blog Posts

Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis: Their Role in Learning, Memory, and Recovery from Injury
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis Neurogenesis refers to the process by which new neurons are generated in the brain. This can happen both during development and in adulthood. Neuroplasticity, on the other…

read more
The Story of Malala Yousafzai
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

The Story of Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education, exemplifies remarkable behavior change in the face of adversity. At just 15 years old, Malala was targeted…

read more
Improving the Odds of Successful Behavior Change
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Good intentions are rarely enough to help us reach our goals, whether to improve relationships, lose weight, exercise more, eliminate a bad habit, or finish that project that keeps getting…

read more
Useful Descriptive Terms for Communicating about Mental Disorders
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

The following terms may be useful when describing the speech, behavior, or appearance of an older adult as they relate to possible mental disorders. These may be observed in a…

read more
Dementia Subtypes
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Dementia is caused by various diseases and conditions, many with no cure. The table below shows the early symptoms, pathology, and prevalence of four main dementia subtypes, all progressive and…

read more
Age-related Forgetfulness and More Serious Memory Problems
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Problems with memory, particularly for recent events, is not uncommon during the aging process. Many people worry about how serious a case of “forgetfulness” may be. However, in contrast to…

read more
Delirium: What is It and What are the Signs?
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Delirium is a state of mental confusion and disorganization. Delirium and dementia are different. This state of mental confusion and disorganization is found in older adults when they are experiencing…

read more
Depression, Dementia, and Delirium: What are the Differences?
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Depression, dementia, and delirium are colloquially referred to as the “3 D’s”. First, what depression looks like: a) sad mood, feeling worthless, hopeless, and helpless; b) loss of interest, decreased…

read more
Caregiver Approaches when a Resident May Be Depressed
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Seven Recommended Approaches when Interacting with a Resident Who May be Depressed Recognize symptoms – The older adult population typically does not admit to feelings of depression. Importantly, many are…

read more
Assessment of Depression in Older Adults: What are the Considerations?
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

These factors should be kept top of mind when assessing for evaluating depression in older adults: Older adults have higher rates of transient, recurring and atypical symptoms of depression (e.g.,…

read more
Overcoming Social Anxiety
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

A person with social anxiety may experience uneasiness in everyday social situations. She may be afraid of being judged negatively by others or worry about embarrassing herself. There may a…

read more
Resistance: How to Reduce It
800 560 Joe Casciani PhD

Authored by Joseph M. Casciani, PhD In the field of aging, when we talk about reducing resistance, an important distinction has been made between compliance and adherence. Compliance has the…

read more