Researchers from Boston University say they have made a major breakthrough in predicting the likelihood of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease through the use of a new artificial intelligence computer program, or model, that could one day help change that—just by analyzing a patient’s speech. They said their model has an accuracy rate of 78.5% in predicting whether someone with mild cognitive impairment is likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
The Boston University researchers boasted that by analyzing speech patterns, their machine learning model can say with a high degree of accuracy whether someone with mild cognitive impairment will develop Alzheimer ’s-associated dementia within six years.
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“We wanted to predict what would happen in the next six years—and we found we can reasonably make that prediction with relatively good confidence and accuracy,” says Ioannis (Yannis) Paschalidis, director of the Boston University Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering. “It shows the power of AI.”
Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. These proteins form plaques and tangles that disrupt the communication between neurons and eventually lead to cell death.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are treatments that can help manage the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. These treatments include medications, lifestyle changes, and cognitive therapy.
Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is a form of Alzheimer’s that strikes at a younger age than the more common late-onset form. It is diagnosed before age 65, typically between 30 and 60 years old.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that impacts memory, thinking and behavior. Early-onset Alzheimer’s has the same symptoms as the late-onset form, but they start at a younger age.
“We hope, as everyone does, that there will be more and more Alzheimer’s treatments made available,” says Paschalidis, a Boston University College of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Engineering and founding member of the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences. “If you can predict what will happen, you have more of an opportunity and time window to intervene with drugs, and at least try to maintain the stability of the condition and prevent the transition to more severe forms of dementia.”
