A team led by Prof. Li Hai from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has taken a significant leap in AI-powered language assessment for identifying cognitive and motor disorders.
The groundbreaking research has implications not just for identifying conditions like dementia but also for personalized care and home support.
A Smarter Way to Assess Brain Health
The way we speak can tell us a lot about our brain health. Features like tone, speed, and word choice can serve as indicators of cognitive conditions like dementia or motor disorders affecting speech.
Prof. Li Hai’s team has capitalized on this by developing an AI system that listens to speech to evaluate cognitive health.
The system involves a set of standardized speech tasks often used in medical clinics, a machine learning component, and an automated way to score and report results.
This means that in the future, it could be as simple as speaking into a device to get a preliminary assessment of your cognitive health.
The Method Behind the Magic
To make sure their tool is accurate, the team rigorously tested it across seven cognitive tasks and analyzed around a hundred features of speech.
They also took steps to ensure that the online tests are as reliable as in-person tests, addressing a big challenge in telemedicine.
The AI’s effectiveness was validated using a sample of individuals with Wilson Disease, a condition that affects motor skills and served as a good test case.
The AI system performed impressively in predicting the severity of the motor disorders affecting speech.
A Team Effort Across Disciplines
The research doesn’t just stand as a testament to technological innovation but also to the power of teamwork across different fields.
Computer scientists worked hand-in-hand with clinicians who treat brain disorders and psychologists who understand cognitive function.
This interdisciplinary approach makes the research a model example of how technology can be applied directly to health care—also known as translational medicine.
Looking Ahead: Home-Based Care and More
Beyond clinics and hospitals, this AI system could be used for at-home assessments, making it easier for people to monitor their cognitive health and take timely action.
It also opens the door for more personalized and effective treatments for conditions like dementia.
The research, a series of papers detailing this advance, has been published in academic journals including Advanced Intelligent Systems, Behavior Research Methods, Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, and Computer Speech & Language.
Overall, this research is a big step toward using technology to improve our understanding and treatment of cognitive and motor disorders.
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The study was published in Advanced Intelligent Systems.
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