Final Exam – Dementia – Medical Speech Pathology – Comprehensive Cognitive
Communication Review Material
I. Cognitive Communication Disorders in AD - ✔✔Symptoms change as the disease progresses
Ever present problems for CCD in Alzheimer's - ✔✔episodic memory, and executive function,
especially working memory
C. Early stage - ✔✔1. Fluent speech
2. Grammatical spoken language but grammatical and spelling errors in written language
3. Empty, Tangential speech
a. Empty speech - meaningless
4. Mild dysnomia with semantic pararaphasias and indefinite references (it, thing)
5. Attention deficits
6. Idealational perseveration
7. Disoriented to time, but not place or person
8. Good motor function and ability to perform ADLs
D. Middle stage - ✔✔1. Most dramatic changes
2. Loss of independence
3. Motor function remains good
4. Worsening of episodic memory and deterioration of semantic memory
5. Can perform basic ADLs with supervision
6. Speech is fluent, but slow and hating
7. Language structure remains intact, but content is significantly impaired
8. Many errors in written language
9. Significant word finding problems
, 10. Literal interpretation of non-literal language
11. Disorientation to time and place, but not person
A. Late Stage - ✔✔1. Disoriented x 3
2. Fluent, but halting speech
3. Grammatical spoken language
4. Significant semantic deficits in spoken language
5. Severe problems in reading comprehension
6. Inability to express themselves in writing
7. Bayles et al. found 82% of late stage individuals produced some spoken language
II. Cognitive Communication Disorders in Vascular Dementia - ✔✔A. Executive dysfunction
most prominent
B. problems in communication vary among individuals depending on site of lesion
C. mixed dementia (AD+ vascular) more common than vascular alone.
III. Dementia and Parkinson's - ✔✔A. Slowing of information processing
B. Executive dysfunction - problem solving, planning, set shifting
Cognitive Communication Disorders in LBD - ✔✔A. Almost 50% demonstrate fluctuation in
cognitive symptoms
B. Hallucinations are common
C. Relative preservation of confrontation naming ability, but impairment in verbal fluency
(opposite order for AD)
V. Cognitive Communication Disorders in Behavioral Variant FTD - ✔✔A. Language is initially
spared
Communication Review Material
I. Cognitive Communication Disorders in AD - ✔✔Symptoms change as the disease progresses
Ever present problems for CCD in Alzheimer's - ✔✔episodic memory, and executive function,
especially working memory
C. Early stage - ✔✔1. Fluent speech
2. Grammatical spoken language but grammatical and spelling errors in written language
3. Empty, Tangential speech
a. Empty speech - meaningless
4. Mild dysnomia with semantic pararaphasias and indefinite references (it, thing)
5. Attention deficits
6. Idealational perseveration
7. Disoriented to time, but not place or person
8. Good motor function and ability to perform ADLs
D. Middle stage - ✔✔1. Most dramatic changes
2. Loss of independence
3. Motor function remains good
4. Worsening of episodic memory and deterioration of semantic memory
5. Can perform basic ADLs with supervision
6. Speech is fluent, but slow and hating
7. Language structure remains intact, but content is significantly impaired
8. Many errors in written language
9. Significant word finding problems
, 10. Literal interpretation of non-literal language
11. Disorientation to time and place, but not person
A. Late Stage - ✔✔1. Disoriented x 3
2. Fluent, but halting speech
3. Grammatical spoken language
4. Significant semantic deficits in spoken language
5. Severe problems in reading comprehension
6. Inability to express themselves in writing
7. Bayles et al. found 82% of late stage individuals produced some spoken language
II. Cognitive Communication Disorders in Vascular Dementia - ✔✔A. Executive dysfunction
most prominent
B. problems in communication vary among individuals depending on site of lesion
C. mixed dementia (AD+ vascular) more common than vascular alone.
III. Dementia and Parkinson's - ✔✔A. Slowing of information processing
B. Executive dysfunction - problem solving, planning, set shifting
Cognitive Communication Disorders in LBD - ✔✔A. Almost 50% demonstrate fluctuation in
cognitive symptoms
B. Hallucinations are common
C. Relative preservation of confrontation naming ability, but impairment in verbal fluency
(opposite order for AD)
V. Cognitive Communication Disorders in Behavioral Variant FTD - ✔✔A. Language is initially
spared
