A new study published in the scientific journal PLOS Digital Health suggests that two digital tools can help in the fight against Alzheimer's. The tools in question are Chatbot and ChatGPT, capable of identifying traits in patients' speeches. The article also indicates an accuracy of up to 80% accuracy in the early stages of dementia.
Research discovers tool to diagnose Alzheimer's
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Previous studies suggest that one of the first symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases was speech difficulties in patients. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the ability to diagnose early Alzheimer's through natural language processing.
It is estimated that, on average, 70% of patients have this symptom that compromises language. Thus, scientists look for slight deviations in speech, such as: paused speech, forgetting words, grammatical errors, loss of vocabulary and incorrect pronunciation.
O chatbot analyzes acoustic data, vocal quality, but was adapted in this study. The researchers used the program to analyze data transcribed from patients' speech and evaluate possible flaws that indicated the development of the disease.
As a conclusion of the study, the scientists say that the tool can be used “reliably not only for detect individuals with Alzheimer's, but also infer the subject's cognitive test score, based solely on data from he speaks".
According to the research authors: “The approach to language analysis and production makes [the chatbot] a promising candidate for identifying the subtle features of speech that can predict the onset of insanity.
Training it would provide the information needed to extract speech patterns that could be applied to identify markers in future patients.”
Other studies indicate that the patient shows signs of Alzheimer's even before obtaining the diagnosis. This new use for the tool could help health professionals to detect early cases of Alzheimer's, so that the best treatment will be offered.
