Automated language analysis for Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia across Latino and English-speaking groups
Official title: An automated machine learning approach to language changes in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia across Latino and English-speaking populations
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11553469 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A low-cost, automated language study aims to help diagnose and understand Alzheimer’s and FTD in diverse Spanish- and English-speaking communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $89,578 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG075775-04S4 |
| Project ID | NIH-11553469 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with or at risk for Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia, including Spanish-speaking Latinos and English-speaking individuals in the US, who can provide speech samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without memory or language concerns or those unable to provide speech samples may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will use everyday speech samples from thousands of participants to build AI-powered language and speech markers that differentiate Alzheimer’s and FTD and account for language, culture, and other personal factors. It focuses on Latino populations who face barriers to standard tests and seeks to show that the markers work across different languages and dialects. By analyzing both acoustic and linguistic features from natural speech, the study aims to create scalable tools that could support earlier and more accurate diagnosis. The effort involves collaboration across multiple countries and communities to ensure the findings apply broadly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tools could enable earlier, cheaper, and more accessible diagnosis for diverse individuals with memory concerns.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows language-based markers can aid detection, but this project expands to diverse languages and socio-biological contexts.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gorno Tempini, Maria Luisa — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Gorno Tempini, Maria Luisa
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Automated language analysis for Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English speakers
A low-cost, automated speech and language analysis tool is being developed to help identify Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English-speaking people.
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Automated language analysis to help diagnose Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English speakers
A low-cost, computer-based method analyzes speech and language to help identify Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English-speaking people.
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Automated language analysis for Alzheimer's and frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English-speaking communities
A low-cost, computer-based language analysis method is being developed to help identify Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English-speaking people.
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Automated language analysis to detect Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English-speaking adults
A low-cost, computer-based language and speech analysis tool will help identify Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English-speaking adults.
-
Automated language analysis for Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia in Latino and English speakers
A machine learning approach analyzes speech and language from Latino and English-speaking people to help detect Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
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Automated speech and language detection for Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia in Spanish and English speakers
This project uses automated speech and language analysis to help spot signs of Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia in Spanish- and English-speaking people, with special focus on Latino communities.
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.