Speech-Analysis Tool for the Early Detection of Alzheimer's Handed to Linus Health in Acquisition
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's are becoming more frequent in the current global aging population. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that global incidents of dementia are likely to increase to 75 million in 2030, and 132 million in 2050.
With increasing incidents of dementia, the importance of early detection also increases, to ensure patients get the best possible treatment.
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Canadian company, Aural Analysis, has developed a tool called Speech Vitals for the early identification of dementia in patients which uses real world speech data as a diagnostic biomarker.
Speaking as then-CEO in 2022, Judy Smythe, said: “Human speech relies on coordinating complex neural activity, including cognitive and motor functions.”
She continued: “As cognitive disease develops, subtle changes in speech occur, which can be precisely detected using our powerful speech analytics. Speech Vitals has tremendous potential and value in a clinical setting, aiding providers in early detection of cognitive conditions that can be challenging to distinguish, especially in early stages.
In October 2022, the FDA registered Aural Analysis's software as a computerised cognitive assessment aid.
American digital health company, Linus Health, focuses on using artificial intelligence tools for the early detection of dementias including Alzheimer's disease and are now expanding their toolkit to include linguistic analysis.
The company has announced that it will gain access to the clinical-grade speech analytics tool through acquisition of Aural Analytics, in line with a scale-up move from Linus.
Speech samples can be recorded and uploaded using a mobile app, their API uses speech signal processing and cognitive linguistic analysis to evaluate the sample and return a diagnostic result.
Dr. David Bates, CEO and co-founder of Linus Health, told VatorNews: "Both Linus Health and Aural Analytics have been dedicated to improved detection of signs of cognitive dysfunction. While Linus Health focused on assessments that evaluate subjects’ memory, cognitive ability and motor skills, Aural Analytics pioneered the use of speech analytics to detect problems."
In the terms of the deal, Linus will own the intellectual property rights to Aural's speech analysis platform. Financial specifics of the deal have not been disclosed.
The integration of advanced speech analytics into clinical practice represents a significant step forward in addressing the challenges of identifying cognitive conditions, offering hope for improved patient outcomes and quality of life in the years to come.
