Most Common Etiologies
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Brain tumors
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Potential Consequences/Impact of Cognitive-Communication Impairment Can Include:
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Reduced awareness and ability to initiate and effectively communicate needs
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Reduced awareness of impairment and its degree (i.e., loss of ability to assess one’s own communication effectiveness)
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Reduced memory, judgment, and ability to initiate and effectively exchange routine information
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Difficulty performing personal lifestyle management activities effectively (i.e., pay bills)
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Reduced ability to anticipate potential consequences, with reasonable judgment and problem solving
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Reduced social communication skills and/or ability to manage emotions, often causing loss of relationships
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Disruption of ability to fulfill educational or vocational roles, including potential loss of employment
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At risk for injury due to inability to communicate in an emergency and/or anticipate the consequences of own actions
http://www.asha.org/slp/cognitive-referral/
Leading causes of TBI:
- Motor vehicle crashes
- Falls
- Assault
- Struck by or against something
At-risk groups:
- Young adults, particularly males
- Under 5
- Over 65
SLP Diagnostics 