Written by Being Patient

Detecting Alzheimer’s early is crucial because it allows people to get new treatments, participate in clinical trials, and make positive lifestyle changes. We now know that our voice might be the first thing that changes before any other symptoms. And so voice biomarkers, as an early diagnostic tool, might be coming to your smartphone soon.

Could your smartphone spot these changes before your doctor? 

Researchers around the world are currently developing technology that can listen to its users to measure brain health. In October 2023, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s Diagnostic Accelerator launched the first international study of vocal changes associated with Alzheimer’s, part of a $100 million investment in finding new biomarkers. And it isn’t the only research group leveraging this technology to develop better diagnostics.

A key reason why voice biomarkers have garnered significant attention is the diagnostic that voice biomarker technology coupled with smart devices could provide: If an app that uses this biomarker technology is adopted by even a fraction of the billions of smart device users around the world, this could lead to a massive increase in the number of people being diagnosed each year.

How do voice biomarkers work?

By measuring how someone speaks throughout the day, including their tone and pitch, digital voice biomarkers can spot the earliest signs of cognitive decline. 

A 2023 study found that word use, grammar, and speech structure may correlate to the physical build-up of protein plaques in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s. Companies pioneering this use of technology are leaping onto this finding and developing other ways to use vocal biomarkers in assessments for brain health. They’re also being used to track disease progression and help diagnose other neurodegenerative diseases.

Companies developing tools for measuring cognitive decline

Barcelona-based startup acceXible is developing screening tools for physicians that could use just 30 to 60 seconds of speech to detect mild cognitive impairment. acceXible’s results have been impressive — Carla Zaldua Aguirre, the company’s CEO, said the test can accurately detect whether someone has mild cognitive impairment correctly nine out of 10 times.

Meanwhile, modality.ai’s cognitive assessment monitors speech and facial patterns via an app to make its diagnosis. 

Some apps, like those developed by Aural Analytics, can monitor brain health over time. Its product Speech Vitals is a cognitive assessment delivered via computer that collects speech snippets and can track decline over time, which could be useful for monitoring how well patients respond to new treatments.

While technology for voice biomarkers is still in the earliest stages of development, if successful, it could be a part of a suite of tools physicians could use, including blood tests or stool samples, that can help people get a diagnosis faster.