Course Description:

How do we know what the underlying neurological causes of cognitive impairment (or unwanted behaviors) are? How do we know when a patient is capable of learning a new compensatory strategy or motor skill? In this course, we will discuss how and why cognitive abilities change with normal aging and various types of dementia. How executive functioning (e.g., attention, inhibition, awareness) is related to one’s ability to learn, remember, and control his/her behavior is explored. Strategies for therapists and others to modify their interventions to maximize cognitive ability and therapeutic outcomes will be presented. This course is the second of a five-part series.