Technology

Can We Use Language to Predict Alzheimer’s Dementia Onset?

Artificial intelligence using linguistic dysfunction can help identify future dementia.

Photo by Drew Graham on Unsplash

Artificial intelligence (AI) using a short language test is moderately accurate in determining whether seemingly healthy individuals will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the future. Today we turn to new research from IBM Research. First, I want to look at some of the warning signs and symptoms of dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers that 50 million individuals live with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia worldwide. AD is a degenerative brain disease and is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is a broad term that describes a constellation of symptoms.

Symptoms

Memory loss that disrupts one’s activities of daily life may be a symptom of dementia. Here are some selected warning sign and symptoms offered by the Alzheimer’s Association:

• Memory loss that impairs daily life. Here, we are not talking about occasionally forgetting names or appointments and remembering them later. Alzheimer’s disease’s common symptom is forgetfulness of recently learned information or asking the same questions repeatedly. Some begin to rely on family members…