Neurocognitive Disorders in Aging

Daniel Kempler earned Master′s and Ph.D. degrees in Linguistics and obtained clinical training and a certificate of clinical competence in Speech-Language Pathology.  Since 2002, he has been Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College in Boston.  Prior to this, he held simultaneous positions as Professor in the Schools of Medicine and Gerontology at the University of Southern California and Director of the Speech and Hearing Clinics at the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center.  He has worked as both a teacher and a clinician.  Dr. Kempler′s research centers around the theme of understanding the neurological and psychological processes underlying speech and languge abilities by studying communication disorders due to brain injury.  In collaboration with colleagues, he has developed several tests used to assess understanding of idioms and proverbs, non-verbal reasoning, and sentence comprehension, as well as a battery to assess dementia in several cultural and language groups.  He has written or co-authored more than 100 journal articles and book chapters.  He provides professional and community service in many areas, from initiating and coordinating a support group for Parkinsonians and their families, to serving as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Speech-Language Hearing Research and a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Aphasia.

Introduction
Acknowledgements
1. How do Young and Older Patients Differ?
2. Brain Basics
3. Stroke and Other Focal Neurological Disorders
4. Aphasia: Disorders of Language
5. Alexia and Agraphia - Disorders of Written Language
6. Pragmatic Communication Deficits
7. Visuospatial deficits
8. Agnosia: Disorders of Recognition
9. Problem Solving Deficits
10. Amnesia: Disturbances of Memory
11. Dementia
12. Delirium and Depression
13. Movement Disorders
14. Successful Cognitive and Physical Aging - Melissa Tabbarah, Teresa Seeman
Glossary
References