The Oxford Handbook of Communication Disorders in Neurodegenerative Diseases

This handbook provides a synthesis of current communication disorders research in patients with a range of neurodegenerative conditions. Neurodegeneration is a rapidly evolving area of medical and health research; however, language and communication disorders have received much less attention than the pathophysiological processes of neurodegenerative diseases. This is despite the fact that these disorders are some of the earliest signs of neurodegeneration, and can seriously impact quality of life in people with neurodegenerative disease. The volume examines age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease as well as neurodegeneration related to hereditary conditions like Huntington's disease and infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2. The chapters review the epidemiology and etiology of each neurodegenerative disease, with a medical overview covering the pathophysiology, clinical features, and prognosis of each condition. The emphasis throughout is on communication disorders associated with each neurodegenerative disease; the discussion includes research findings in the literature, with data from patients used to illustrate speech, hearing, voice, fluency, and language impairments. The book also explores the clinical management of communication disorders by speech-language pathologists. By bringing research and clinical practice together in a single volume, this handbook offers a comprehensive understanding of the impact of neurodegenerative processes on communication.