Published on: September 24, 2015
by Abigail Klein Leichman for The Jewish Voice:
IBM Israel has a prototype smartphone technology to detect dementia at an early stage by analyzing voice and speech patterns. This technology has shown an 85 percent accuracy rate in preliminary trials.
First described last year in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Israeli, French and Dutch Dem@Care project seeks to enable diagnosis through a series of tests conducted using a smartphone or tablet computer in only seven minutes.
Subjects are asked to perform cognitive tasks such as counting backwards, describing a picture and identifying words that start with a certain letter. Their answers are recorded and analyzed using a series of algorithms developed at the IBM Research Lab in Haifa.
If this app were to be commercialized, it could represent a major advance in detecting dementia early. Currently there is no other diagnostic tool than psychological and psychiatric tests along with clinical examinations. It could also be helpful in diagnosing other brain disorders that typically affect speech, such as Parkinson’s disease.
Aharon Satt, a speech technology expert at the IBM Research Lab in Haifa leading the Dem@Care project, told Haaretz that the idea is to help identify dementia while there may still be time to treat the condition.
“We know there is no cure for the disease yet but there is significance in early detection. If we catch it at an early stage, we can treat its symptoms, whether by drug therapy that improves the function of neurotransmitters in the brain or other methods, or by starting psychological and behavioral therapy for the patient and those around him,” said Satt.
Source: http://bit.ly/1NOsrKB
Although it’s great to celebrate the big achievements, it’s also important to celebrate the small wins.
Women are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in much larger numbers than men. Approximately two-thirds of Canadians and Americans living with dementia are women. Why are women disproportionately affected? Partly, it...
Your brain is affected by what you eat! Join us Thurs. Jan. 21st for an engaging culinary virtual event. Featuring Special Guest MARK McEWAN Celebrity Chef and Restauranteur With...
The material presented through the Think Tank feature on this website is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. WBHI strongly advises all questioners and viewers using this feature with health problems to consult a qualified physician, especially before starting any treatment. The materials provided on this website cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. The materials are not exhaustive and cannot always respect all the most recent research in all areas of medicine.