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Patients in acute settings may present with a variety of signs and symptoms; however, the principles of assessment are applicable to all acutely unwell patients. This article details a case study of a patient who presented to the author's medical ward in a catatonic state, and was assessed using the ABCDE (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure) approach. Catatonia is a disturbed mental state in which a patient exhibits abnormal behaviour, such as the inability to speak and non-responsiveness to stimuli, alongside immobility. Although catatonia is a rare condition, it is important that nurses can identify its signs and symptoms, because it can be fatal if not treated appropriately and rapidly. Thus, it is crucial for nurses to be able to systematically assess acutely unwell patients, including those with catatonia, using the ABCDE approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features the primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a free, online, clinician-administered tool developed by researchers and clinicians at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute designed to help clinicians detect and differentiate PPA in its early stages.

There are two stages to making a diagnosis of dementia: establishing the presence of a dementia syndrome and determining the likely cause. Dementia should be distinguished from mild cognitive impairment, in which any cognitive and functional changes are less marked. Diagnosis of dementia is essentially clinical but investigations are helpful in excluding other disorders and in determining the underlying cause of the condition. International diagnostic criteria exist for the most common causes of dementia and these are useful for clinical and research purposes. At and following diagnosis, patients and their families require information, support and guidance about the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the authors offer tips on how to avoid or prevent the use of culturally insensitive test items in assessment materials of speech-language pathology classes. Also cited are the ethical and professional responsibility of faculty members and clinical staff to ensure the appropriateness and validity of their diagnostic tools for the populations they work with, and the need to be aware of signs of racism and White supremacy during testing.

The article discusses a study on the association between hearing loss and dementia, by Paul Strutt of Macquarie University's Department of Cognitive Science and his colleagues, which was published in the journal "Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition."

The article discusses the 3 interdisciplinary working groups focusing on diagnostic criteria for early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It includes dementia, predementia and preclinical phases and provides the health care professionals with the tools to screen, identify and intervene at earlier stage. Early diagnosis of AD dementia using cognitive screening for mild cognitive impairment and the opportunity to speech-language pathologists (SLP) to take a lead role in that, are mentioned.

The article discusses research which showed reduced cognitive performance among older people who have cochlear implants (CI) for severe hearing loss. The study was conducted by researchers from Antwerp University Hospital and published in the journal "Frontiers in Neuroscience." It describes the cognitive tests and audiometric assessments designed by the study authors. The authors of the study suggest follow-up care and counseling for older patients fitted with CIs.

The article cites that older patients with a university education who present with complaints of cognitive decline and who score less than 27 on the Mini-Mental State Examination are at greater risk of being diagnosed with dementia. They should be referred for a comprehensive dementia evaluation, including formal neuropsychological testing.

The article reports that patients with moderate disability after bacterial meningitis are not at higher risk of neuropsychological abnormalities than patients with good recovery. Cognitive outcome and quality of life were assessed by researchers in patients with moderate disability after pneumococcal meningitis.

The article presents the author's comments on whether neuropsychological tests for cognitive decline are warranted in patients with prediabetes and diabetes.

The article discusses research study on the neuropsychological performance of adults with sickle cell anemia, by E. P. Vichinsky and colleagues, published in the 2010 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

The article discusses research in the United States which found that combining a healthy Mediterranean-type diet with exercise can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. According to the author the research took place from 1992 to 2006 and involved conducting neurological and neuropsychological assessments on approximately 1,880 people aged 70 and over.

The article reports on the author's self-directed Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association (TSHA) independent study in Mexico. The affective, behavioral, cognitive views of the cause of a disability and intervention style was examined. Neuropsychology, physical education and development of cognitive skills were utilized by a well-established elementary education project in the area of learning intervention.

Presents information on Detect for Display Enhanced Testing for Concussions and Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries, neuropsychological tests developed by medical researchers from Georgia Tech university in Atlanta. Key features of the tests; Qualified administrators of the test.