AI for early detection and prediction of Alzheimer’s disease
In conjunction with World Alzheimer's Day, GMV reaffirms its dedication to healthcare innovation and research through the application of digital technologies. In cases like that of Alzheimer’s, these technologies are playing a crucial role in uncovering significant insights for improving early detection and prediction of the disease. Since 2016, the multinational company has been engaged in projects such as TARTAGLIA and MOPEAD, both aimed at seeking treatments for this form of dementia. Specifically, within the framework of the TARTAGLIA project, which leverages GMV’s technology to create Spain’s first federated AI data network in the healthcare industry, recent findings in analyzing acoustic properties of communication using AI pave the way for the development of less invasive diagnostic tools, enhancing the ability to detect Alzheimer’s in its early stages or even before symptoms of the disease become apparent.
The World Health Organization has recognized dementia as a top public health priority and is providing funding for research projects aimed at advancing its treatment. In May 2017, the World Health Assembly approved the Global Action Plan on Public Health Response to Dementia 2017-2025. In addition, European Next Generation funds are being allocated to support both healthcare and research projects, as well as the R&D Missions in Artificial Intelligence program as part of Spain's Digital 2025 Agenda and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
Notably, among these initiatives, the TARTAGLIA project stands out. This project is centered around the use of artificial intelligence and the development of a federated network encompassing diverse centers focused on identifying early indicators of various medical conditions. One of the lines of work is dedicated to the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, achieved through the analysis of spontaneous speech produced by individuals at various stages of cognitive decline. This research group is led by GMV, with the Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona serving as responsible for the Alzheimer research group and contributing clinical data, and acceXible, a technology company specialized in spontaneous speech processing.
Meanwhile, in the MOPEAD project, both ACE and GMV have worked on developing an early diagnosis system for the disease involving citizen participation through internet-based social marketing techniques, while also raising awareness in the population about the importance of research in identifying unknown cases.
*TARTAGLIA takes place under the R&D Missions in Artificial Intelligence program, which is part of the Spain Digital 2025 Agenda and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. It is financed by the European Union through NextGenerationEU funds. This work has been partially funded by the 'Ministerio De Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital' (project TARTAGLIA, exp. MIA.2021.M02.0005), funds from the Recovery, Resilience and Transformation Plan, co-funded by the European Union, NextGenerationEU.