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van den Berg RL, de Boer C, Zwan MD, Jutten RJ, van Liere M, van de Glind MCABJ, Dubbelman MA, Schlüter LM, van Harten AC, Teunissen CE, van de Giessen E, Barkhof F, Collij LE, Robin J, Simpson W, Harrison JE, van der Flier WM, Sikkes SAM. Digital remote assessment of speech acoustics in cognitively unimpaired adults: feasibility, reliability and associations with amyloid pathology. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:176. [PMID: 39090738 PMCID: PMC11293000 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01543-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digital speech assessment has potential relevance in the earliest, preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We evaluated the feasibility, test-retest reliability, and association with AD-related amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology of speech acoustics measured over multiple assessments in a remote setting. METHODS Fifty cognitively unimpaired adults (Age 68 ± 6.2 years, 58% female, 46% Aβ-positive) completed remote, tablet-based speech assessments (i.e., picture description, journal-prompt storytelling, verbal fluency tasks) for five days. The testing paradigm was repeated after 2-3 weeks. Acoustic speech features were automatically extracted from the voice recordings, and mean scores were calculated over the 5-day period. We assessed feasibility by adherence rates and usability ratings on the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. Test-retest reliability was examined with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). We investigated the associations between acoustic features and Aβ-pathology, using linear regression models, adjusted for age, sex and education. RESULTS The speech assessment was feasible, indicated by 91.6% adherence and usability scores of 86.0 ± 9.9. High reliability (ICC ≥ 0.75) was found across averaged speech samples. Aβ-positive individuals displayed a higher pause-to-word ratio in picture description (B = -0.05, p = 0.040) and journal-prompt storytelling (B = -0.07, p = 0.032) than Aβ-negative individuals, although this effect lost significance after correction for multiple testing. CONCLUSION Our findings support the feasibility and reliability of multi-day remote assessment of speech acoustics in cognitively unimpaired individuals with and without Aβ-pathology, which lays the foundation for the use of speech biomarkers in the context of early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanne L van den Berg
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Movement and Behavioral Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Casper de Boer
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marissa D Zwan
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roos J Jutten
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mariska van Liere
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marie-Christine A B J van de Glind
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center Groningen, Department of Neurology, Department of Neuropsychology and Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC and Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A Dubbelman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa Marie Schlüter
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Argonde C van Harten
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte E Teunissen
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Neurochemistry Laboratory and Biobank, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elsmarieke van de Giessen
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frederik Barkhof
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lyduine E Collij
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - John E Harrison
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Scottish Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, UK
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Wiesje M van der Flier
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sietske A M Sikkes
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Movement and Behavioral Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Harris C, Tang Y, Birnbaum E, Cherian C, Mendhe D, Chen MH. Digital Neuropsychology beyond Computerized Cognitive Assessment: Applications of Novel Digital Technologies. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 39:290-304. [PMID: 38520381 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acae016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Compared with other health disciplines, there is a stagnation in technological innovation in the field of clinical neuropsychology. Traditional paper-and-pencil tests have a number of shortcomings, such as low-frequency data collection and limitations in ecological validity. While computerized cognitive assessment may help overcome some of these issues, current computerized paradigms do not address the majority of these limitations. In this paper, we review recent literature on the applications of novel digital health approaches, including ecological momentary assessment, smartphone-based assessment and sensors, wearable devices, passive driving sensors, smart homes, voice biomarkers, and electronic health record mining, in neurological populations. We describe how each digital tool may be applied to neurologic care and overcome limitations of traditional neuropsychological assessment. Ethical considerations, limitations of current research, as well as our proposed future of neuropsychological practice are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che Harris
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Neurology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Yingfei Tang
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Neurology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Eliana Birnbaum
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Christine Cherian
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Dinesh Mendhe
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Michelle H Chen
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Neurology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Kaser AN, Lacritz LH, Winiarski HR, Gabirondo P, Schaffert J, Coca AJ, Jiménez-Raboso J, Rojo T, Zaldua C, Honorato I, Gallego D, Nieves ER, Rosenstein LD, Cullum CM. A novel speech analysis algorithm to detect cognitive impairment in a Spanish population. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1342907. [PMID: 38638311 PMCID: PMC11024431 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1342907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Early detection of cognitive impairment in the elderly is crucial for diagnosis and appropriate care. Brief, cost-effective cognitive screening instruments are needed to help identify individuals who require further evaluation. This study presents preliminary data on a new screening technology using automated voice recording analysis software in a Spanish population. Method Data were collected from 174 Spanish-speaking individuals clinically diagnosed as cognitively normal (CN, n = 87) or impaired (mild cognitive impairment [MCI], n = 63; all-cause dementia, n = 24). Participants were recorded performing four common language tasks (Animal fluency, alternating fluency [sports and fruits], phonemic "F" fluency, and Cookie Theft Description). Recordings were processed via text-transcription and digital-signal processing techniques to capture neuropsychological variables and audio characteristics. A training sample of 122 subjects with similar demographics across groups was used to develop an algorithm to detect cognitive impairment. Speech and task features were used to develop five independent machine learning (ML) models to compute scores between 0 and 1, and a final algorithm was constructed using repeated cross-validation. A socio-demographically balanced subset of 52 participants was used to test the algorithm. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), covarying for demographic characteristics, was used to predict logistically-transformed algorithm scores. Results Mean logit algorithm scores were significantly different across groups in the testing sample (p < 0.01). Comparisons of CN with impaired (MCI + dementia) and MCI groups using the final algorithm resulted in an AUC of 0.93/0.90, with overall accuracy of 88.4%/87.5%, sensitivity of 87.5/83.3, and specificity of 89.2/89.2, respectively. Conclusion Findings provide initial support for the utility of this automated speech analysis algorithm as a screening tool for cognitive impairment in Spanish speakers. Additional study is needed to validate this technology in larger and more diverse clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N. Kaser
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Laura H. Lacritz
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Holly R. Winiarski
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | | | - Jeff Schaffert
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Alberto J. Coca
- AcceXible Impacto, Sociedad Limitada, Bilbao, Spain
- Cambridge Mathematics of Information in Healthcare Hub, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tomas Rojo
- AcceXible Impacto, Sociedad Limitada, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Carla Zaldua
- AcceXible Impacto, Sociedad Limitada, Bilbao, Spain
| | | | | | - Emmanuel Rosario Nieves
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Parkland Health and Hospital System Behavioral Health Clinic, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Leslie D. Rosenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Parkland Health and Hospital System Behavioral Health Clinic, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - C. Munro Cullum
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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Saunders S, Haider F, Ritchie CW, Muniz Terrera G, Luz S. Longitudinal observational cohort study: Speech for Intelligent cognition change tracking and DEtection of Alzheimer's Disease (SIDE-AD). BMJ Open 2024; 14:e082388. [PMID: 38548356 PMCID: PMC10982798 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is emerging evidence that speech may be a potential indicator and manifestation of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Therefore, the University of Edinburgh and Sony Research have partnered to create the Speech for Intelligent cognition change tracking and DEtection of Alzheimer's Disease (SIDE-AD) study, which aims to develop digital speech-based biomarkers for use in neurodegenerative disease. METHODS AND ANALYSIS SIDE-AD is an observational longitudinal study, collecting samples of spontaneous speech. Participants are recruited from existing cohort studies as well as from the National Health Service (NHS)memory clinics in Scotland. Using an online platform, participants record a voice sample talking about their brain health and rate their mood, anxiety and apathy. The speech biomarkers will be analysed longitudinally, and we will use machine learning and natural language processing technology to automate the assessment of the respondents' speech patterns. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The SIDE-AD study has been approved by the NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC reference: 23/WM/0153, protocol number AC23046, IRAS Project ID 323311) and received NHS management approvals from Lothian, Fife and Forth Valley NHS boards. Our main ethical considerations pertain to the remote administration of the study, such as taking remote consent. To address this, we implemented a consent process, whereby the first step of the consent is done entirely remotely but a member of the research team contacts the participant over the phone to consent participants to the optional, most sensitive, elements of the study. Results will be presented at conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals and communicated to study participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fasih Haider
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Craig W Ritchie
- Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Graciela Muniz Terrera
- Centre for Dementia Prevention, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Saturnino Luz
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh School of Molecular Genetic and Population Health Sciences, Edinburgh, UK
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Šubert M, Novotný M, Tykalová T, Hlavnička J, Dušek P, Růžička E, Škrabal D, Pelletier A, Postuma RB, Montplaisir J, Gagnon JF, Galbiati A, Ferini-Strambi L, Marelli S, St Louis EK, Timm PC, Teigen LN, Janzen A, Oertel W, Heim B, Holzknecht E, Stefani A, Högl B, Dauvilliers Y, Evangelista E, Šonka K, Rusz J. Spoken Language Alterations can Predict Phenoconversion in Isolated Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Multicenter Study. Ann Neurol 2024; 95:530-543. [PMID: 37997483 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study assessed the relationship between speech and language impairment and outcome in a multicenter cohort of isolated/idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). METHODS Patients with iRBD from 7 centers speaking Czech, English, German, French, and Italian languages underwent a detailed speech assessment at baseline. Story-tale narratives were transcribed and linguistically annotated using fully automated methods based on automatic speech recognition and natural language processing algorithms, leading to the 3 distinctive linguistic and 2 acoustic patterns of language deterioration and associated composite indexes of their overall severity. Patients were then prospectively followed and received assessments for parkinsonism or dementia during follow-up. The Cox proportional hazard was performed to evaluate the predictive value of language patterns for phenoconversion over a follow-up period of 5 years. RESULTS Of 180 patients free of parkinsonism or dementia, 156 provided follow-up information. After a mean follow-up of 2.7 years, 42 (26.9%) patients developed neurodegenerative disease. Patients with higher severity of linguistic abnormalities (hazard ratio [HR = 2.35]) and acoustic abnormalities (HR = 1.92) were more likely to develop a defined neurodegenerative disease, with converters having lower content richness (HR = 1.74), slower articulation rate (HR = 1.58), and prolonged pauses (HR = 1.46). Dementia-first (n = 16) and parkinsonism-first with mild cognitive impairment (n = 9) converters had higher severity of linguistic abnormalities than parkinsonism-first with normal cognition converters (n = 17). INTERPRETATION Automated language analysis might provide a predictor of phenoconversion from iRBD into synucleinopathy subtypes with cognitive impairment, and thus can be used to stratify patients for neuroprotective trials. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:530-543.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Šubert
- Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Novotný
- Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Tykalová
- Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Hlavnička
- Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Dušek
- Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Evžen Růžička
- Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dominik Škrabal
- Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Amelie Pelletier
- Department of Neurology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ronald B Postuma
- Department of Neurology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacques Montplaisir
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-François Gagnon
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea Galbiati
- Sleep Disorders Center, Division of Neuroscience, Ospedale San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Ferini-Strambi
- Sleep Disorders Center, Division of Neuroscience, Ospedale San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Marelli
- Sleep Disorders Center, Division of Neuroscience, Ospedale San Raffaele, Università Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy
| | - Erik K St Louis
- Mayo Center for Sleep Medicine, and Sleep Behavior and Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Health System Southwest Wisconsin, La Crosse, WI, USA
| | - Paul C Timm
- Mayo Center for Sleep Medicine, and Sleep Behavior and Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Luke N Teigen
- Mayo Center for Sleep Medicine, and Sleep Behavior and Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Annette Janzen
- Department of Neurology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Oertel
- Department of Neurology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Beatrice Heim
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Evi Holzknecht
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ambra Stefani
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Birgit Högl
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- National Reference Network for Narcolepsy, Sleep-Wake Disorder Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Elisa Evangelista
- National Reference Network for Narcolepsy, Sleep-Wake Disorder Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Karel Šonka
- Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Rusz
- Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Neurology & ARTORG Center, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Huang L, Li Q, Lu Y, Pan F, Cui L, Wang Y, Miao Y, Chen T, Li Y, Wu J, Chen X, Jia J, Guo Q. Consensus on rapid screening for prodromal Alzheimer's disease in China. Gen Psychiatr 2024; 37:e101310. [PMID: 38313393 PMCID: PMC10836380 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2023-101310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common cause of dementia, characterised by cerebral amyloid-β deposition, pathological tau and neurodegeneration. The prodromal stage of AD (pAD) refers to patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and evidence of AD's pathology. At this stage, disease-modifying interventions should be used to prevent the progression to dementia. Given the inherent heterogeneity of MCI, more specific biomarkers are needed to elucidate the underlying AD's pathology. Although the uses of cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography are widely accepted methods for detecting AD's pathology, their clinical applications are limited by their high costs and invasiveness, particularly in low-income areas in China. Therefore, to improve the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology through cost-effective screening methods, a panel of 45 neurologists, psychiatrists and gerontologists was invited to establish a formal consensus on the screening of pAD in China. The supportive evidence and grades of recommendations are based on a systematic literature review and focus group discussion. National meetings were held to allow participants to review, vote and provide their expert opinions to reach a consensus. A majority (two-thirds) decision was used for questions for which consensus could not be reached. Recommended screening methods are presented in this publication, including neuropsychological assessment, peripheral biomarkers and brain imaging. In addition, a general workflow for screening pAD in China is established, which will help clinicians identify individuals at high risk and determine therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Huang
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinjie Li
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Lu
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengfeng Pan
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Cui
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya Miao
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianlu Chen
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yatian Li
- Shanghai BestCovered, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Xiaochun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jianping Jia
- Department of Neurology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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7
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Rudisch DM, Krasko MN, Barnett DGS, Mueller KD, Russell JA, Connor NP, Ciucci MR. Early ultrasonic vocalization deficits and related thyroarytenoid muscle pathology in the transgenic TgF344-AD rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1294648. [PMID: 38322496 PMCID: PMC10844490 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1294648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurologic disease and the most common cause of dementia. Classic pathology in AD is characterized by inflammation, abnormal presence of tau protein, and aggregation of β-amyloid that disrupt normal neuronal function and lead to cell death. Deficits in communication also occur during disease progression and significantly reduce health, well-being, and quality of life. Because clinical diagnosis occurs in the mid-stage of the disease, characterizing the prodrome and early stages in humans is currently challenging. To overcome these challenges, we use the validated TgF344-AD (F344-Tg(Prp-APP, Prp-PS1)19/Rrrc) transgenic rat model that manifests cognitive, behavioral, and neuropathological dysfunction akin to AD in humans. Objectives The overarching goal of our work is to test the central hypothesis that pathology and related behavioral deficits such as communication dysfunction in part manifest in the peripheral nervous system and corresponding target tissues already in the early stages. The primary aims of this study are to test the hypotheses that: (1) changes in ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) occur in the prodromal stage at 6 months of age and worsen at 9 months of age, (2) inflammation as well as AD-related pathology can be found in the thyroarytenoid muscle (TA) at 12 months of age (experimental endpoint tissue harvest), and to (3) demonstrate that the TgF344-AD rat model is an appropriate model for preclinical investigations of early AD-related vocal deficits. Methods USVs were collected from male TgF344-AD (N = 19) and wildtype (WT) Fischer-344 rats (N = 19) at 6 months (N = 38; WT: n = 19; TgF344-AD: n = 19) and 9 months of age (N = 18; WT: n = 10; TgF344-AD: n = 8) and acoustically analyzed for duration, mean power, principal frequency, low frequency, high frequency, peak frequency, and call type. RT-qPCR was used to assay peripheral inflammation and AD-related pathology via gene expressions in the TA muscle of male TgF344-AD rats (n = 6) and WT rats (n = 6) at 12 months of age. Results This study revealed a significant reduction in mean power of ultrasonic calls from 6 to 9 months of age and increased peak frequency levels over time in TgF344-AD rats compared to WT controls. Additionally, significant downregulation of AD-related genes Uqcrc2, Bace2, Serpina3n, and Igf2, as well as downregulation of pro-inflammatory gene Myd88 was found in the TA muscle of TgF344-AD rats at 12 months of age. Discussion Our findings demonstrate early and progressive vocal deficits in the TgF344-AD rat model. We further provide evidence of dysregulation of AD-pathology-related genes as well as inflammatory genes in the TA muscles of TgF344-AD rats in the early stage of the disease, confirming this rat model for early-stage investigations of voice deficits and related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Michael Rudisch
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Maryann N Krasko
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - David G S Barnett
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Kimberly D Mueller
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - John A Russell
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Nadine P Connor
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Michelle R Ciucci
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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8
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Watase T, Omiya Y, Tokuno S. Severity Classification Using Dynamic Time Warping-Based Voice Biomarkers for Patients With COVID-19: Feasibility Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2023; 8:e50924. [PMID: 37982072 PMCID: PMC10631492 DOI: 10.2196/50924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In Japan, individuals with mild COVID-19 illness previously required to be monitored in designated areas and were hospitalized only if their condition worsened to moderate illness or worse. Daily monitoring using a pulse oximeter was a crucial indicator for hospitalization. However, a drastic increase in the number of patients resulted in a shortage of pulse oximeters for monitoring. Therefore, an alternative and cost-effective method for monitoring patients with mild illness was required. Previous studies have shown that voice biomarkers for Parkinson disease or Alzheimer disease are useful for classifying or monitoring symptoms; thus, we tried to adapt voice biomarkers for classifying the severity of COVID-19 using a dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm where voice wavelets can be treated as 2D features; the differences between wavelet features are calculated as scores. Objective This feasibility study aimed to test whether DTW-based indices can generate voice biomarkers for a binary classification model using COVID-19 patients' voices to distinguish moderate illness from mild illness at a significant level. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using voice samples of COVID-19 patients. Three kinds of long vowels were processed into 10-cycle waveforms with standardized power and time axes. The DTW-based indices were generated by all pairs of waveforms and tested with the Mann-Whitney U test (α<.01) and verified with a linear discrimination analysis and confusion matrix to determine which indices were better for binary classification of disease severity. A binary classification model was generated based on a generalized linear model (GLM) using the most promising indices as predictors. The receiver operating characteristic curve/area under the curve (ROC/AUC) validated the model performance, and the confusion matrix calculated the model accuracy. Results Participants in this study (n=295) were infected with COVID-19 between June 2021 and March 2022, were aged 20 years or older, and recuperated in Kanagawa prefecture. Voice samples (n=110) were selected from the participants' attribution matrix based on age group, sex, time of infection, and whether they had mild illness (n=61) or moderate illness (n=49). The DTW-based variance indices were found to be significant (P<.001, except for 1 of 6 indices), with a balanced accuracy in the range between 79% and 88.6% for the /a/, /e/, and /u/ vowel sounds. The GLM achieved a high balance accuracy of 86.3% (for /a/), 80.2% (for /e/), and 88% (for /u/) and ROC/AUC of 94.8% (95% CI 90.6%-94.8%) for /a/, 86.5% (95% CI 79.8%-86.5%) for /e/, and 95.6% (95% CI 92.1%-95.6%) for /u/. Conclusions The proposed model can be a voice biomarker for an alternative and cost-effective method of monitoring the progress of COVID-19 patients in care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teruhisa Watase
- Gradutate School of Health Innovation Kanagawa University of Human Service Kawasaki, Kanagawa Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Omiya
- Department of Bioengineering Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - Shinichi Tokuno
- Gradutate School of Health Innovation Kanagawa University of Human Service Kawasaki, Kanagawa Japan
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9
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García-Gutiérrez F, Marquié M, Muñoz N, Alegret M, Cano A, de Rojas I, García-González P, Olivé C, Puerta R, Orellana A, Montrreal L, Pytel V, Ricciardi M, Zaldua C, Gabirondo P, Hinzen W, Lleonart N, García-Sánchez A, Tárraga L, Ruiz A, Boada M, Valero S. Harnessing acoustic speech parameters to decipher amyloid status in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1221401. [PMID: 37746151 PMCID: PMC10512723 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1221401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive functions. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD, underscoring the importance of identifying individuals in the preclinical stages of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to enable early interventions. Among the neuropathological events associated with the onset of the disease is the accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain, which correlates with decreased levels of Aβ42 peptide in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Consequently, the development of non-invasive, low-cost, and easy-to-administer proxies for detecting Aβ42 positivity in CSF becomes particularly valuable. A promising approach to achieve this is spontaneous speech analysis, which combined with machine learning (ML) techniques, has proven highly useful in AD. In this study, we examined the relationship between amyloid status in CSF and acoustic features derived from the description of the Cookie Theft picture in MCI patients from a memory clinic. The cohort consisted of fifty-two patients with MCI (mean age 73 years, 65% female, and 57% positive amyloid status). Eighty-eight acoustic parameters were extracted from voice recordings using the extended Geneva Minimalistic Acoustic Parameter Set (eGeMAPS), and several ML models were used to classify the amyloid status. Furthermore, interpretability techniques were employed to examine the influence of input variables on the determination of amyloid-positive status. The best model, based on acoustic variables, achieved an accuracy of 75% with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 in the prediction of amyloid status evaluated by bootstrapping and Leave-One-Out Cross Validation (LOOCV), outperforming conventional neuropsychological tests (AUC = 0.66). Our results showed that the automated analysis of voice recordings derived from spontaneous speech tests offers valuable insights into AD biomarkers during the preclinical stages. These findings introduce novel possibilities for the use of digital biomarkers to identify subjects at high risk of developing AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Marquié
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nathalia Muñoz
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Alegret
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amanda Cano
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Itziar de Rojas
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo García-González
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clàudia Olivé
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Puerta
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adelina Orellana
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Montrreal
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vanesa Pytel
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mario Ricciardi
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Wolfram Hinzen
- Department of Translation and Language Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Lleonart
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ainhoa García-Sánchez
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lluís Tárraga
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín Ruiz
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercè Boada
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergi Valero
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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