Abstract
In addition to memory loss, progressive deterioration of speech and language skills is among the main symptoms at the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as well as in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Detailed interview analyses demonstrated early symptoms years before the onset of AD/MCI. Automatic speech processing could be a promising approach to identifying underlying mechanisms in larger studies or even support diagnostics. Perplexity as a measure of predictability of text could be a sensitive indicator of cognitive deterioration. Therefore, voice recordings from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Adult Development and Aging were analyzed with regard to neuropsychological parameters in participants that develop MCI/AD or remain cognitively healthy. Preliminary results indicate that perplexity predicts severity of cognitive deficits and information processing speed obtained 10–12 years later in participants who developed MCI/AD in contrast to those who stayed healthy. Findings support the heuristic value of research on the diagnostic potential of automatic speech processing.
Acknowledgments
The Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Adult Development and Aging (ILSE) was funded for the first three measurements by the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizen, Women, and Youth, Germany (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend – BMBFSJ) and the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Arts Baden-Württemberg, Germany (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst, Baden-Württemberg – MWK). The fourth examination wave was funded by the Dietmar Hopp Foundation, Germany (Dietmar Hopp Stiftung).
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