Clinical classification of memory and cognitive impairment with multimodal digital biomarkers

Introduction: Early detection of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment is critical to improving the healthcare trajectories of aging adults, enabling early intervention and potential prevention of decline.

Methods: To evaluate multi-modal feature sets for assessing memory and cognitive impairment, feature selection and subsequent logistic regressions were used to identify the most salient features in classifying Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-determined memory impairment.

Results: Multimodal models incorporating graphomotor, memory, and speech and voice features provided the stronger classification performance (area under the curve = 0.83; sensitivity = 0.81, specificity = 0.80). Multimodal models were superior to all other single modality and demographics models.

Discussion: The current research contributes to the prevailing multimodal profile of those with cognitive impairment, suggesting that it is associated with slower speech with a particular effect on the duration, frequency, and percentage of pauses compared to normal healthy speech.