A groundbreaking new artificial intelligence (AI) tool has been developed for identifying cognitive impairment in Spanish-speaking older adults. Led by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the algorithm shows promise as an early detection tool for individuals at risk of developing dementia.
Professor C. Munro Cullum, who spearheaded the study, believes that machine learning-based tools like this one will play a crucial role in cognitive screening for dementia in the future. The study, which gathered data from 195 Spanish-speaking adults in a clinical trial in Spain, utilized multiple language models to train independent machine learning models.
The final speech analysis algorithm model showed an impressive accuracy in distinguishing cognitively normal participants from those with dementia, ranging between 87.5% and 88.4%. This breakthrough has the potential to significantly impact the quality of life for older adults at risk of dementia, especially in marginalized racial and ethnic groups.
According to Cullum, the technology could aid in the early identification of cognitive decline and prompt clinical evaluation and treatment for those in need. Other institutions are also exploring the use of AI in dementia detection, with researchers at the University of California San Francisco making strides in identifying indicators of Alzheimer’s years before symptoms manifest.
