Slowed speech OR Forgetting words…..which one is a more accurate indicator of brain health? [Video]

#PD’s Research Bites
#Brain health
#slowed speech
#forgetting words
#cognitive decline
#dementia
#alzheimers disease
# brain function
#Older people
#research
#cognitive assessments
#digital
#natural language processing technologies
#artificail intelligence
Slowed speech or forgetting words – which one is a more accurate indicator of brain health?
This video I describe research supported assessments for cognitive decline in diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer and brain health generally.
I explain previous studies that noticed subtle changes in the spoken and written language of public figures like Ronald Reagan  and Iris Murdoch. I describe a recent study from the University of Toronto suggests that it’s the speed of speech, rather than the difficulty in finding words that is a more accurate indicator of brain health in older adults.  I explain the details of how the research was conducted – participant details, use of artificial intelligence (AI) software to extract features, how the tests was conducted and the key findings. I also mention how these tests could be used in clinical practice – talking speed should be tested as part of standard cognitive assessments to detect cognitive decline faster and help older adults support their brain health as they age. This research offer opportunities for future research to examine whether speed speech is truly predictive of brain health. The novelty of this research is the use of natural language processing technologies (a type of AI).

https://www.geriatric.theclinics.com/article/S0749-0690(22)00058-1/abstract
https://theconversation.com/slowed-speech-may-indicate-cognitive-decline-more-accurately-than-forgetting-words-224812#:~:text=Interestingly%2C%20the%20study%20found%20that,in%20memory%20retrieval%20for%20words.
Ibnidris, A., Robinson, J.N., Stubbs, M. et al. Evaluating measurement
properties of subjective cognitive decline self-reported outcome
measures: a systematic review. Syst Rev 11, 144 (2022).
https://neurosciencenews.com/speech-speed-brain-health-aging-25661/
https://picryl.com/media/president-ronald-reagan-speaks-during-a-ceremony-commemorating-the-40th-anniversary-36d362
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_Laxalt_and_Ronald_Reagan_1980_%28cropped%29.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/embeemb/4549007327
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictoquotes/53154355413
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-02018-y
Berisha V, Wang S, LaCross A, Liss J. Tracking discourse complexity preceding Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis: a case study comparing the press conferences of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush. J Alzheimers Dis. 2015;45(3):959-63. doi: 10.3233/JAD-142763. PMID: 25633673; PMCID: PMC6922000.
Garrard P, Maloney LM, Hodges JR, Patterson K. The effects of very early Alzheimer’s disease on the characteristics of writing by a renowned author. Brain. 2005 Feb;128(Pt 2):250-60. doi: 10.1093/brain/awh341. Epub 2004 Dec 1. PMID: 15574466.

Wei, H. T., Kulzhabayeva, D., Erceg, L., Robin, J., Hu, Y. Z., Chignell, M., & Meltzer, J. A. (2024). Cognitive components of aging-related increase in word-finding difficulty. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2024.2315774