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The article discusses the significant role of audiologists in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the elderly. Topics explored include the prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease among older people in the U.S., the risk of older adults with MCI for dementia, and the effectiveness of the Dichotic Sentence Identification Test (DSI) in measuring auditory processing deficits.

The article discusses cognitive-communication disorders and discourse impairments associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the U.S. It states that discourse impairment is attributed from post-TBI cognitive-communication disorder due to the key role discourse plays in communication and the abilities that contribute to the participation restrictions. Moreover, it mentions the characteristics of discourse genres, descriptive discourse, monologic discourse, and conversational discourse. INSET: Discourse Genres Commonly Used in Assessing Individuals With TBI.

The article presents a roundup of the latest findings by researchers in communication sciences and disorders, including voice frequency indicating presence of voice disorder, technology-assisted voice treatment's effectiveness for Parkinson's and word lists help in writing for children with complex communication needs.

The article discusses what speech-language pathologists (SLPs) need to know to correctly perform and document cognitive evaluations for Medicare beneficiaries. Topics mentioned include who should be evaluated, how to document the evaluation, and what constitutes a standardized assessment. It also explains what standardized assessments are appropriate for billing 96125, the subtests that can be administered for billing 96125, and how to know if Medicare will pay for the evaluation.

The article presents questions and answers related to the new-speech language codes which include how should one be billed for a cognitive evaluation, what if the cognitive evaluation does not include standardized cognitive testing and whether the code 92523 can be used for a cognitive-communication evaluation.

The article discusses the guidance from the American Hospital Association (AHA) explaining that Speech-language pathologist (SLP) treating patients with autism may not use the diagnosis code for cognitive communication deficit (799.52) in their documentation and billing because the diagnosis is "integral to autism". Several questions posed by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in asking AHA for clarification SLP's use of cognitive deficit codes for patients with autism.

The article discusses the disparity in the implementation of the new diagnostic codes for cognitive communication deficits. The new codes, which became effective on October 1, 2010, were introduced into the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to improve the coding of intracranial injuries and associated symptoms. The article also mentions the codes to be used in case of specific disorders.

The article discusses American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) proposed diagnostic code changes for fluency and cognitive disorders. It states that the revised code, 438.14, corresponds for fluency disorder which is due to cerebrovascular accident. It says that modified cognitive symptoms codes include 799.51 for attention deficit. It mentions several ASHA fluency disorders and cognitive ailment resources including specialty recognition at www.asha.org/sip/clinical/Stuttering.htm.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Not Cured...But Improved," by Tammy Hopper which appeared in the June 2016 issue.

The article reviews the web site ASHA Practice Portal, located at www.asha.org/Practice-Portal, from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

The article reports on the acquisition of a license by Serono Laboratories Inc. a late-stage drug for cognitive disorders developed by Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA in Italy. Serono will pay Newron $200 million in up-front payments for access to safinamide, a derivative that is currently in Phase three trials for Parkinson's disease. Newron will retain its rights to copromote the drug in Italy and Spain.