The use of codesign methods is becoming increasingly common practice to involve and engage research participants in health research. Through codesign, end-users and stakeholders can contribute their own perspectives and experiences to solve a common problem. This article describes how a 5-day codesign sprint can be used to find solutions to…

Purpose: Aging increases risk for hearing loss, cognitive decline, and social isolation; however, the nature of their interconnection remains unclear. This study examined the interplay between age-related hearing loss, cognitive decline, and social isolation in adults by testing the ability to understand speech in background noise, a challenge…

Background: Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) was developed as a screening tool for cognitive disorders. Many countries have proven the cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of ACE-III. Aims: To make cultural adaptations of ACE-III for the Turkish population and to examine its validity and reliability. Methods &…

Purpose: The increasing prevalence of dementia poses significant challenges for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), who often lack specialized training in addressing degenerative disorders. Simulations can offer students a safe and standardized environment to develop essential skills. This study evaluated whether the Virtual Dementia Tour, a…

Background: Word retrieval skills change across the lifespan. Permanent alterations in the form of decreased accuracy or increased response time can be a consequence of both normal ageing processes or the presence of acquired and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., aphasia and dementia). Despite the extensive literature exploring the…

Background: There is increasing interest in the incorporation of animal-assisted services (AAS) in therapy for adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. AAS have the potential to enhance speech and language therapy engagement and outcomes. However, a greater understanding of the nature and potential benefits of these interventions…

Background: Dementia is a cognitive decline that leads to the progressive deterioration of an individual's ability to perform daily activities independently. As a result, a considerable amount of time and resources are spent on caretaking. Early detection of dementia can significantly reduce the effort and resources needed for caretaking. Aims:…

Background: Adults with intellectual disabilities are an at-risk group of developing dementia. In the absence of a cure for dementia, emphasis on treatment is the promotion of Quality of life (QoL). The aim of this review is to identify and describe QoL tools for people with intellectual disabilities and dementia. Method: A systematic review was…

Background: Individuals with dementia have communication limitations resulting from cognitive impairments that define the syndrome. Whereas there are numerous cognitive assessments for individuals with dementia, there are far fewer communication assessments. The Profiling Communication Ability in Dementia (P-CAD) was developed to address this gap.…

Background: Impacts of dementia syndromes on caregivers are well established, but research specific to Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) populations is scant. In particular, little is known about the impacts of non-language symptoms (e.g., emotion recognition and behavioural disturbance) on caregiver outcomes in PPA. Aims: The present study sought…

Background: Recent evidence suggests that speech substantially changes in ageing. As a complex neurophysiological process, it can accurately reflect changes in the motor and cognitive systems underpinning human speech. Since healthy ageing is not always easily discriminable from early stages of dementia based on cognitive and behavioural…

Background: The prevalence of dementia is increasing, bringing a range of challenges, such as eating, drinking and swallowing (EDS) difficulties, that are associated with aspiration, which can be fatal. Early identification of EDS difficulty in early-stage dementia could prevent complications, but reliable indicators are needed to help develop…

This book explores the potential for lifelong learning in dementia. A growing social issue, dementia has previously been understood as a wasteland for learning: at best, those with dementia are helped to hold on to some pre-existing skills. This book draws on extensive qualitative data with people with dementia and their families to demonstrate…

For caregivers of people living with major neurocognitive disorders (MNCD), adapting and applying methods optimizing learning (MOL) to a specific situation, based on preserved cognitive skills, can be challenging. This study aimed to 1) co-develop workshops, a web application and accompanying materials to support the operationalization of MOL; 2)…

This article explores a therapeutic theatre project facilitated by an acting educator and an older woman living with mild dementia in regional Victoria, Australia. The co-created process utilised improvisation, storytelling, singing and puppetry to present a performance outcome. A qualitative Participatory Action Research methodological framework…