Millions There are a number of people worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, but these conditions remain undiagnosed or detected too late for optimal intervention. start up acceptable is trying to change that, on the premise that early signs of certain conditions can be seen—or heard—or heard in a person’s voice.
Carla Zaldua Aguirre, CEO of the company, said: “Accexible operates at the intersection of neuroscience, linguistics and mathematics. WIRED Health this March. Accexible’s product—accessible on a computer, app, or over a phone call—assesses the linguistic content of someone’s speech, as well as the way they speak, to identify changes. Change could indicate a potential problem. Aguirre promises 90 percent accuracy and results in minutes. The idea is that GPs can use the app as a screening test, and neurologists can use it to track how their patients are progressing over time.
The company says it has been used by 10,000 patients and 40 practitioners across five markets, and Accexible is running trials in Spain, Colombia and the UK. If a patient comes in with memory complaints, a doctor can use this technology to conduct a screening test and then refer them to a memory clinic for extra attention if needed.
“There’s a preclinical phase of Alzheimer’s where you can’t see the symptoms but there are biomarkers,” says Aguirre. The company is exploring whether the model can predict how much amyloid beta, proteins that accumulate inside the brain in Alzheimer’s patients. Aguirre hopes that Accexible will eventually be able to spot a wide range of health conditions and accelerate access to treatment.
