Speech Analysis in Preclinical Identification of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

In this paper we overview the role of speech variables in the preclinical discrimination of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). As a neurodegenerative process, AD displays important cognitive and language impairments, which affect speech production from early, even preclinical stages of the disease. In this work, we review speech affection in different neurodegenerative diseases in order to focus on specific speech traits of AD. We define speech production in individuals with AD and highlight how their speech changes in comparison with healthy elderly. Finally, we briefly talk about automatic speech analysis (ASA) as one of the most promising techniques for non-invasive and reliable assessment of speech for preclinical identification of AD.