Through this course, students will become familiar with changes in communication abilities (both verbal and non-verbal) in older adults, particularly how communication skills are affected by health-related issues during the typical aging process, such as cognitive impairments and dementias, depression, cerebrovascular disorders, and others. Students will be informed about communication disorders primarily caused by neurodegenerative conditions, their etiological background, and the methods of pharmacological and non-pharmacological management.

This course will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to appropriately address cognitive-communication disorders in older adults as speech-language therapists and to contribute effectively to their rehabilitation programs.

• Promote free, creative, and inductive thinking
• Search, analyze, and synthesize data and information, using necessary modern technologies
• Decision-making ability
• Independent work
• Respect for diversity and multiculturalism
• Demonstration of social, professional, and ethical responsibility

Course Structure: 13 Units

1. Communication Disorders in Older Adults: Introductory concepts and definitions
2. Cognitive Functions and Communication Disorders (CD): Memory and CD, Language and CD, Executive Functions and CD, Neuroimaging findings in CD
3. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): Introduction, Prevalence, Diagnostic criteria, Clinical features
4. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD): Introduction, Prevalence, Risk factors for AD development, Diagnostic criteria, Clinical features, Neuropsychological functions in AD at different stages, Language function in AD at different stages
5. Down Syndrome (DS) and Dementia: Introduction, Clinical features, Risk factors for AD development in DS, Diagnosis of dementia in individuals with DS
6. Vascular Dementia (VD): Introduction, Neuropathology, Risk factors for VD, Diagnostic criteria, Clinical features, Neuropsychological and language functions, Cognitive-communication disorders
7. Traumatic Brain Injury and Dementia: Introduction, Clinical features
8. Parkinson’s Disease (PD): Introduction, Neuropathology, Parkinsonism and PD, Risk factors for PD, Diagnostic criteria, Clinical features, Neuropsychological and language functions, Cognitive-communication disorders
9. Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD): Introduction, Diagnostic criteria, Clinical features, Behavioral subtype, Differential diagnosis of subtypes
10. Assessment of Cognitive-Communication Disorders in Dementia and MCI: Scales and assessment tools
11. Cognitive-Linguistic Neurorehabilitation: The role of tele-rehabilitation
12. Therapy: Direct and indirect interventions for individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia
13. Care Planning for Patients with Dementia.
14. Familiarization with the cognitive training program: REHACOM

• Written final examination (70%) – The exam will include short-answer questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and clinical case analysis.
• Individual assignment (30%) – Administration of assessment tools discussed during the in-person lecture on a familiar case.
  

Books

• Bayles, K., McCullough, K., & Tomoeda, C. K. (2018). Cognitive-communication disorders of MCI and dementia: Definition, assessment, and clinical management. Plural Publishing.

Academic journals

• Tweed, T., van Eijden, Y., Tegels, J., Brenkman, H., Ruurda, J., van Hillegersberg, R., ... & Stoot, J. (2019). Safety and efficacy of early oral feeding for enhanced recovery following gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A systematic review. Surgical oncology, 28, 88-95.
• Printza, A., Triaridis, S., Kalaitzi, M., Nikolaidis, I., Bakirtzis, C., Constantinidis, J., & Grigoriadis, N. (2019). Dysphagia prevalence, attitudes, and related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. Dysphagia, 1-8.
• Burton, R. L., & O'Connell, M. E. (2018). Telehealth Rehabilitation for Cognitive Impairment: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial. JMIR research protocols, 7(2), e43. https://doi.org/10.2196/resprot.9420
• Cacciante, L., Kiper, P., Garzon, M., Baldan, F., Federico, S., Turolla, A., & Agostini, M. (2021a). Telerehabilitation for people with aphasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of communication disorders, 92, 106111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.106111  
• Jelcic, N., Agostini, M., Meneghello, F., Bussè, C., Parise, S., Galano, A., Tonin, P., Dam, M., & Cagnin, A. (2014). Feasibility and efficacy of cognitive telerehabilitation in early Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study. Clinical interventions in aging, 9, 1605–1611. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S68145
• Nousia, A., Martzoukou, M., Siokas, V., Aretouli, E., Aloizou, A. M., Folia, V., ... & Dardiotis, E. (2021). Beneficial effect of computer-based multidomain cognitive training in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 28(6), 717-726.
• Nousia, A., Siokas, V., Aretouli, E., Messinis, L., Aloizou, A. M., Martzoukou, M., ... & Dardiotis, E. (2018). Beneficial effect of multidomain cognitive training on the neuropsychological performance of patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Neural plasticity, 2018. 

https://eclass.uop.gr/courses/3316/