Researchers find how to predict who will get Alzheimer's six years earlier

Doctors may soon be able to predict who will develop Alzheimer's in older age using speech patterns. Scientists from Boston University have created an algorithm using artificial intelligence which examines the speech patterns of people with mild cognitive impairment.

The computer was able to predict the progression to Alzheimer’s with a 78.5% accuracy. Ioannis Paschalidis, from Boston University, said: “You can think of the score as the likelihood, the probability, that someone will remain stable or transition to dementia.

“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. It shows the power of AI.”

Paschalidis said predicting Alzheimer's earlier means treatment can begin sooner, adding: “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."