Application of speech technology in a home based assessment kiosk for early detection of alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative disease that affects an estimated 4.5 million people in the U.S., can be treated far more effectively when it is detected early. There are numerous challenges to early detection. One is objectivity, since caretakers are often emotionally invested in the health of the patients, who may be their family members. Consistency of administration can also be an issue, especially where longitudinal results from different examiners are compared. Finally, the frequency of testing can be adversely affected by scheduling or cost constraints for in-home psychometrician visits. The kiosk system described in this paper, currently deployed in homes around the country, uses speech technology to provide advantages that address these challenges.