AI-powered remote screening to detect bulbar ALS and speed up speech therapy referrals
Official title: AI-assisted multimodal digital remote screening for bulbar ALS to support timely referral to SLP care
Funded at Sunnybrook Research Institute · NIH-11392242 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A test of smart digital tools that listen and watch how people with ALS speak to flag early bulbar symptoms and help doctors refer them to speech-language pathology sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sunnybrook Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Toronto, Canada) |
| Project start | July 20, 2018 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $517,153 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC017291-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392242 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with ALS who are at risk of bulbar involvement or showing early bulbar signs.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without bulbar involvement or who do not use speech-language pathology services may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create easy-to-use digital tools that analyze speech and related signals from people with ALS to catch bulbar problems early. Researchers will test how well repeated speech tasks work and whether the tools can reliably identify early bulbar changes using audio and video data. The work focuses on building and validating predictive algorithms that can be used in real-world clinical settings to guide timely referrals to SLP care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to earlier detection of bulbar symptoms and faster access to speech therapy, potentially slowing progression-related communication difficulties.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in ALS has shown promise for digital biomarkers, but this project emphasizes a multimodal, remote assessment and early detection.
Where this research is happening
-
Sunnybrook Research Institute
Toronto, Canada Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yunusova, Yana — Sunnybrook Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Yunusova, Yana
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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-
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This study is looking at how a gentle brain stimulation technique called tACS might help improve memory and brain activity in people with Alzheimer's disease, and it's designed to be safe and comfortable for long-term use.
-
Creating a new tool to assess swallowing and speaking difficulties in ALS patients
This study is working on a new tool to help doctors better understand and measure problems with speaking and swallowing in people with ALS, so they can improve care and treatment options for patients.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.