A new cutting-edge AI tool predicts the progression of Alzheimer’s disease with over 80% accuracy, minus the scalpel

What you need to know

• Cambridge researchers have developed a new method to predict the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
• The proposed model promises 80% accuracy and will help health practitioners recommend the appropriate treatment and rehabilitation programs.
• With the number of dementia cases expected to triple in the next 50 years, the tool could potentially help mitigate most of these cases with early detection coupled with proper treatment.

With the rapid adoption of AI , we've seen impressive feats and milestones being achieved across education, computing, music, and medicine. Last month, Color Health started leveraging OpenAI GPT-4o's reasoning capabilities to improve and accelerate cancer treatment via its copilot app.

And as it now seems, we might be on the verge of another health breakthrough with AI. Researchers from Cambridge University have seemingly developed a new method for predicting the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) — which promises 80% accuracy (via The Rundown AI ).

Aside from the high level of accuracy, the new method also cuts costs on expensive assessment tests like PET scans. Early detection and prediction will help doctors make well-informed decisions, including the appropriate treatment and rehabilitation programs.

The study involved the analysis of speech data from 166 people with cognitive issues. Findings from this allowed the researchers to develop the ground-breaking method that predicts AD progression within six years. Besides neuropsychological test (NPT) results, the researchers also had access to the participants' educational background, health risk factors, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles.

Researchers illustrated AI's capabilities to automate speech recognition and natural language processing (NLP) in predicting the susceptibility to Alzheimer's among people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The model predicted AD progression "with a sensitivity of 81.1, specificity of 75%, and accuracy of 78.2%."

The model could revolutionize the healthcare landscape, with reports indicating the number of people with dementia is expected to triple in the next 5 decades. The AI-powered prediction tool could help detect early symptoms that may eventually manifest into Alzheimer's, ultimately fostering early treatment and rehabilitation.

AI is also making an impact in other spheres of the health landscape. In January, Microsoft's Trevor Noah featured QuitBot on The Prompt show. QuitBot is an AI-powered "habit change" platform based on ChatGPT technology designed to help smokers overcome nicotine addiction through emotional support .