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A new study conducted by researchers at Baycrest, the University of Toronto, and York University suggests that the way we speak in everyday conversations could be a significant indicator of brain health.
Advertisement The research team found that subtle details in speech timing – including pauses, filler words like “uh” and “um,” and moments of difficulty retrieving words – are closely linked to executive functions of the brain. These cognitive abilities are crucial for planning, remembering information, staying organized, and switching between tasks.
The findings provide compelling evidence that natural speech patterns reflect core cognitive skills. This is important because it suggests a potential new way to assess brain health outside of traditional clinical settings.
Unlike relying on formal tests in controlled environments, the study proposes that everyday conversations themselves may hold measurable clues about brain health. This builds on previous research showing a connection between faster speech rates and stronger cognitive performance in older adults, expanding that link to include more nuanced features of speech timing and fluency.
“The message is clear: speech timing is not just style, it’s a sensitive marker of brain health,” said Dr. Jed Meltzer, senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest and lead author of the study.
To investigate this connection, participants were asked to describe complex images using their own words, then complete standard tests measuring executive functions. Researchers then used artificial intelligence to analyze the speech recordings with precision, identifying hundreds of subtle indicators of timing and fluency, including the number of pauses, use of filler words, and hesitation before retrieving a word.
These patterns proved to be strong predictors of performance on cognitive tests, even after adjusting for age, gender, and education. The results suggest that the rhythm and fluency of everyday speech could provide a practical and scalable way to monitor brain health, potentially enabling the detection of early changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Executive functions tend to decline with age and are often affected early in dementia, but can be difficult to measure with traditional tests that are time-consuming and susceptible to practice effects. Natural speech, however, is a daily behavior that can be measured repeatedly, unobtrusively, and on a large scale, providing insights into processing speed as a sensitive measure of cognitive well-being.
“This study opens the door to developing tools to monitor cognitive changes in clinics or even at home,” Dr. Meltzer explained. “Early detection is critical for any treatment or intervention, as dementia involves a gradual deterioration of the brain that can be slowed.”
Researchers emphasized the need for longitudinal studies to track individuals’ speech over time, to distinguish between normal age-related changes and early signs of disease. They also noted that combining natural speech analysis with other measurements could make early detection of cognitive decline more accurate and accessible.
