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Speech-based digital cognitive assessment for clinical trials : Detecting cognitive impairment stages and AD biomarker relations across European cohorts

König, Alexandra ; Tröger, Johannes ; Mallick, Elisa ; Linz, Nicklas ; Ritchie, Craig ; Gregory, Sarah ; Hunter, Matthew ; Johnson, Kay ; Benavides, Gonzalo Sánchez and Grau-Rivera, Oriol , et al. (2026) In Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association 22(5).
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is critical for timely intervention as disease-modifying treatments emerge. Speech-based digital biomarkers offer scalable options for remotely capturing speech-derived functional changes associated with early cognitive decline, but validation across real-world populations remains limited.

METHODS: We evaluated the speech biomarker for cognition (SB-C), an automated speech-derived measure associated with cognitive status, in 736 participants across five European cohorts (Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center's Alzheimer's at-risk cohort, European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia Scotland, Dementia Study of Cognitive and Biomarker Dynamics, Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment... (More)

INTRODUCTION: Early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is critical for timely intervention as disease-modifying treatments emerge. Speech-based digital biomarkers offer scalable options for remotely capturing speech-derived functional changes associated with early cognitive decline, but validation across real-world populations remains limited.

METHODS: We evaluated the speech biomarker for cognition (SB-C), an automated speech-derived measure associated with cognitive status, in 736 participants across five European cohorts (Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center's Alzheimer's at-risk cohort, European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia Scotland, Dementia Study of Cognitive and Biomarker Dynamics, Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study, and Biomarkers for Identifying Neurodegenerative Disorders Early and Reliably [BioFINDER-Primary Care]). Participants completed verbal learning and semantic fluency tasks via automated phone or app-based platforms. SB-C performance was compared to Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating, Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite 5, and cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau181 biomarker status.

RESULTS: SB-C significantly differentiated cognitively unimpaired and impaired groups (P < 0.001), correlated with standard cognitive measures, and showed moderate-to-high area under the curve (0.56-0.82) for classifying biomarker positivity, with strongest results in BioFINDER-Primary Care.

DISCUSSION: SB-C is a scalable, remote speech-derived marker associated with cognitive status and AD biomarker group differences.

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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Humans, Male, Female, Biomarkers/cerebrospinal fluid, Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis, Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis, Aged, Amyloid beta-Peptides/cerebrospinal fluid, Europe, Cohort Studies, Speech, Neuropsychological Tests, tau Proteins/cerebrospinal fluid, Aged, 80 and over, Middle Aged
in
Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association
volume
22
issue
5
article number
e71462
publisher
Wiley
external identifiers
  • pmid:42151661
ISSN
1552-5279
DOI
10.1002/alz.71462
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2026 The Author(s). Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.
id
2b42b681-5b00-4de0-a730-f0718b74e717
date added to LUP
2026-05-27 07:51:25
date last changed
2026-05-29 12:29:24
@article{2b42b681-5b00-4de0-a730-f0718b74e717,
  abstract     = {{<p>INTRODUCTION: Early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is critical for timely intervention as disease-modifying treatments emerge. Speech-based digital biomarkers offer scalable options for remotely capturing speech-derived functional changes associated with early cognitive decline, but validation across real-world populations remains limited.</p><p>METHODS: We evaluated the speech biomarker for cognition (SB-C), an automated speech-derived measure associated with cognitive status, in 736 participants across five European cohorts (Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center's Alzheimer's at-risk cohort, European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia Scotland, Dementia Study of Cognitive and Biomarker Dynamics, Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study, and Biomarkers for Identifying Neurodegenerative Disorders Early and Reliably [BioFINDER-Primary Care]). Participants completed verbal learning and semantic fluency tasks via automated phone or app-based platforms. SB-C performance was compared to Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating, Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite 5, and cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau181 biomarker status.</p><p>RESULTS: SB-C significantly differentiated cognitively unimpaired and impaired groups (P &lt; 0.001), correlated with standard cognitive measures, and showed moderate-to-high area under the curve (0.56-0.82) for classifying biomarker positivity, with strongest results in BioFINDER-Primary Care.</p><p>DISCUSSION: SB-C is a scalable, remote speech-derived marker associated with cognitive status and AD biomarker group differences.</p>}},
  author       = {{König, Alexandra and Tröger, Johannes and Mallick, Elisa and Linz, Nicklas and Ritchie, Craig and Gregory, Sarah and Hunter, Matthew and Johnson, Kay and Benavides, Gonzalo Sánchez and Grau-Rivera, Oriol and Radoi, Andreea and Porta-Mas, Claudia and Köhler, Stefanie and Teipel, Stefan and Hansson, Oskar and Tideman, Pontus and Wuestefeld, Anika and Palmqvist, Sebastian}},
  issn         = {{1552-5279}},
  keywords     = {{Humans; Male; Female; Biomarkers/cerebrospinal fluid; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis; Aged; Amyloid beta-Peptides/cerebrospinal fluid; Europe; Cohort Studies; Speech; Neuropsychological Tests; tau Proteins/cerebrospinal fluid; Aged, 80 and over; Middle Aged}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley}},
  series       = {{Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association}},
  title        = {{Speech-based digital cognitive assessment for clinical trials : Detecting cognitive impairment stages and AD biomarker relations across European cohorts}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/alz.71462}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/alz.71462}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}