IBM and Pfizer Develop AI to Better Detect Early Alzheimer’s
06-11-2020 | By Robin Mitchell
IBM and Pfizer have developed an AI that can help to predict Alzheimer’s in healthy people with the use of natural language processing. What is natural language processing, what applications is it generally used in, and how can it be used to detect Alzheimer’s in healthy people?
What is natural language processing?
Natural Language Processing, or NPL, describes a system used to translate spoken words into text that a machine can read and understand. Unlike speech to text, NPL is concerned with preserving the meaning of a sentence while removing unnecessary information. For example, a computer system can be easily trained to react to the phrase “turn lights off”, but this is not how people naturally speak. The same command can be said in a wide variety of ways including “Please turn off the lights”, “oh, and remember to switch off the lights”, and “computer, before turning off the lights can you also lock the front doors”. An NPL system decoding such messages also needs to be able to recognise multiple sentences and phrases, all of which can perform their own commands or actions.
Where is natural language processing found?
Since spoken words can greatly vary in structure, trying hardcode every possible combination of words and their meaning is not only a monumental task, but it is an incredibly inefficient method. Instead, NPL utilises AI which can be trained to learn about phrases and their meanings. From there, when the NPL AI is presented with a new phrase, it can utilise neural nets to extract the meaning from a sentence without needing to have ever seen that specific phrase before. Thus, NPL is found in many speech-to-text applications such as automated phone systems, voice command systems, and AI assistants. However, the same technology can also be used in Optical Text Recognition systems (which convert written words to text), such as those found in document converters. NPL is also used in the generation of natural language, which converts machine output to a sentence understandable by people.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease generally found in the elderly population and results in dementia. While not all dementia cases are a result of Alzheimer’s, all Alzheimer’s results in dementia, and currently, there are no cures for the condition. Most of those who start to see symptoms of the disease are over the age of 65, called late-onset Alzheimer’s; however some can see symptoms as early as 30, but these cases, called early-onset Alzheimer’s, are incredibly rare. The cause of Alzheimer’s is poorly understood, but some theories point towards genetics inherited by parents, head injuries, and environmental factors. Either way, the true cause is not known, and research continues into the disease to either find a cure or methods for mitigating the effects. Once Alzheimer’s sets in, patients can lose memory, cognitive functions, and the ability to take care of themselves thus often requiring care in nursing homes or from family.
How NLP Can Help Detect Alzheimer’s
Detecting and testing for Alzheimer’s in young patients are not only difficult but may prove to be too difficult to test using standard methods of testing. For example, those in their 30’s to ’50s may have perfectly functioning memory and cognitive skills yet have Alzheimer’s. However, researchers from IBM and Pfizer have developed an AI system that utilises natural language processing to detect small changes in speaking patterns by individuals. The system asks patients to conduct a verbal cognitive test by having a patient look at drawings and state what they see. According to the research, the system is able to provide results that are 70% accurate, while standard testing procedures can only achieve an accuracy of 59%. Such technology may be able to provide those with the disease the ability to take preventative measures that can extend their life. For example, future research may find that certain food groups improve or worsen the disease, and thus those detected with the condition early on could take dietary action. The data gathered by the system also allows researchers to better understand the disease and determine what factors truly cause Alzheimer’s. This use of AI in medical diagnosis is yet another example of how computer systems will eventually provide doctors with a powerful tool to better diagnose patients more accurately thus allow for carefully targeted treatments.
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