Cognitive Aspects of Communication

You are working in a hospital and 72-year-old patient, Grace, is referred to you. She has difficulty paying attention to a conversation, staying on topic, remembering information, responding accurately, and following directions. She most likely has:

• Transcortical motor aphasia

• Wernicke's aphasia

• Apraxia of speech

• Cognitive communication disorder

In addition to an SLP, which of the following constitutes a team likely to be most helpful in the acute stage rehabilitation of a child with a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury?

• An occupational therapist, a pediatric physiatrist, and a physical therapist

• A physical therapist, a psychologist, and a special education teacher

• An occupational therapist and a psychologist

• A special education teacher and a pediatrician

In assessing a child who has an acquired brain injury, it is most important for the SLP to

• assess pragmatics through a structured language test

• compare premorbid performance with present performance

• ensure administration of an intelligence test

• compare nonverbal performance with verbal performance

For which of the following reasons would the therapy for a client whose language loss is due to brain injury differ from the therapy for a client whose language loss is due to a progressive disorder?

• There is a much higher chance of spontaneous recovery for the client with brain injury

• There is a much higher chance of spontaneous recovery for the client with a progressive disorder

• The client with brain injury typically has problems with fatigue and mental confusion, whereas the client with a progressive disorder does not.

• The client with a progressive disorder typically has problems with attention and memory, whereas the client with brain injury typically does not.

Nonfluent speech, reduced phonemic repertoire, absence of function words, and overuse of content vocabulary are characteristic of the verbal ability of a person who has had damage to which of the following parts of the brain?

• superior temporal gyrus

• angular gyrus

• primary motor cortex

• inferior frontal gyrus

When should the treatment program for an adult client with a cognitive-communication disorder secondary to traumatic-brain injury begin?

• two months after onset of the symptoms

• as soon as the client is aware of activities in his or her environment

• six months after onset of the symptoms

• As soon as the client indicates an interest in treatment

Ms. Brown, a 70 year old retired female, was admitted to the hospital following a CVA. The SLP conducted a comprehensive evaluation revealing the presence of left-side neglect, anosognosia (denial of impairment), and visuospatial problems, including prosopagnosia (difficulty recognizing familiar faces). Although her auditory comprehension and repetition skills were good, she experience difficulty with topic maintenance and turn taking. Based on the clinical features described, Ms. Brown's diagnostic classification would most likely be

• Wernicke's aphasia

• conduction aphasia

• cognitive-communicative disorder consistent with right hemisphere damage

• cognitive-communicative disorder consistent with left hemisphere damage

Which is not a type of attention?

• Selective

• Alternating

• Divided

• Working

A 72-year-old patient, Karen, is referred to a SLP for evaluation due to concerns about her cognitive decline. Karen's family reports that she has difficulty concentrating, paying attention, and staying alert. They've also noticed that her thoughts seem disorganized and illogical at times. Additionally, Karen has been experiencing movement problems such as muscle rigidity, loss of coordination, and reduced facial expressions. Karen's family also mentions that she has been struggling with sleep disorders like insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Furthermore, Karen has been experiencing visual hallucinations, which have become a cause for concern. Based on these symptoms and characteristics, what condition is most likely affecting Karen?

• Lewy Body Dementia

• Frontotemporal dementia

• Alzheimer's disease

• Vascular dementia

Which of the following plans is most appropriate when assessing a patient with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to characterize cognitive aspects of communication that affect functional abilities?

• • Administering an aphasia battery to form a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s linguistic abilities

• • Using standardized tests as needed and supplementing with discourse samples and dynamic assessment

• • Conducting an assessment to evaluate for the presence and severity of dysarthria

• • Observing a conversation between the patient and a familiar individual for difficulties in functional communication