Exploring language as an early behavioral marker of Alzheimer's Disease

Dec 12, 2024

3 min


Professors from the University of Delaware and Carnegie Mellon University will use a $3.7 million RF1 grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to examine language as an early behavioral marker of Alzheimer’s Disease. If successful, this research could pave the way for earlier interventions.


“Identifying these individuals as early as possible gets them into preventive treatments sooner,” said Alyssa Lanzi, assistant professor of Communications Sciences & Disorders at UD.


The study builds on pilot data gathered by Anna Saylor, a third-year doctoral student in the communication sciences and disorders doctoral program, housed in the UD's College of Health Sciences.


“We know a lot about how language develops in childhood but not much about how it changes in older adults,” Saylor said. “Our data suggest subtle language changes might signal future cognitive decline.”


To explore these changes on a larger scale, Lanzi is collaborating with MacWhinney, who founded TalkBank, open science database of language samples. Within TalkBank is DementiaBank, a shared database of multimedia interactions for studying communication in dementia. However, DementiaBank is outdated and limited in demographics, and the quality and rigor of the data need improvement.


Lanzi is seeking to change that. Her five-year study seeks 300 older adults aged 60-90 nationwide from underrepresented backgrounds or populations vulnerable to health disparities.


“Current DementiaBank data is representative of Caucasians of a higher socioeconomic status,” Lanzi said. “We must intentionally recruit people who are at the greatest risk — for example, adults who are Black, Asian, Hispanic, Latin and those living in rural areas.”


The recruitment strategy, rooted in community engagement at locations in Wilmington, Delaware, is part of the novelty of Lanzi’s grant.


“This is a feasibility study to see if our approach in Wilmington can be replicated in other states,” Lanzi said.


Lanzi has also established an advisory committee of nationwide faculty with relevant expertise on specific priority populations. Their input will tailor plans to population needs while data is collected through a central site at UD.


The Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research (DECCAR) also provides critical infrastructure for the study.


“This project is an example of the success of DECCAR, and our impact extends far beyond state lines,” said Lanzi, an executive committee member with DECCAR.


Participants selected for the study will participate in a comprehensive cognitive and language testing battery via telehealth, so they don’t have to travel to UD’s campus, which is novel and unique to this study.


“To study their language, they’ll see pictures and be asked to describe them and share stories from their past,” Lanzi said.


Study participants will receive a gift card for participating and feedback about their memory to share with their healthcare provider.


“Building trust and giving back are key elements of our strategy,” Lanzi said.


Lanzi is already preparing for the next phase of her research, supported by an additional $800,000 grant from the NIA. This phase will test the effects of an online treatment Lanzi developed for individuals identified as at risk.


“If we find that language is an early marker of disease, I want to take this research to the next level and develop treatments that teach strategies to enhance independence and improve the quality of life for those at risk of developing dementia,” she said.

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from University of Delaware

2 min

How old is your brain?

University of Delaware researchers have found that measuring brain stiffness is a reliable way to predict brain age. This information could be used to identify structural differences that indicate departure from the normal aging process, potentially identifying and addressing disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In recent findings, Curtis Johnson, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Austin Brockmeier, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, show that measuring both brain stiffness and brain volume produces the most accurate predictions of chronological age. Their findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Biology Methods and Protocols. The pair worked with three current and former UD students to reach their conclusions. “Brain volume is a common measure that we use to study the brain,” Johnson said. “But something has to be happening to cause a brain to shrink. Something is happening at the microscale that causes it to shrink — changes in the tissue that also cause stiffness to change. And that precedes whatever happens when the volume changes.” “The stiffness maps all seem kind of random — until we see a large number of images and the randomness fades away and we start to see common patterns in stiffness,” Johnson said. “We sort of knew there was more [information] in there than what we were extracting." A cutting-edge magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner at UD’s Center for Biomedical and Brain Imaging handled the brain scanning. On the artificial intelligence side, the brain maps were analyzed by three-dimensional “convolutional neural networks,” which — as the name suggests — are convoluted and complicated, incorporating many layers and dimensions. To arrange and interview with Johnson or Brockmeier, send an email to mediarelations@udel.edu

1 min

The hidden consequences of school suspensions: Insights from 'Suspended Education'

School suspensions have long been a traditional disciplinary strategy used by educational institutions to address behavioral issues. Often perceived as a straightforward solution to handle disruptive conduct, suspensions remove the student from the school environment, theoretically allowing learning to proceed unhindered. University of Delaware sociology professor Aaron Kupchik explores school suspensions in his new book ‘Suspended Education: School Punishment and the Legacy of Racial Injustice.' He looks at how this practice is intrinsically tied to racial inequality and can have negative long-term impacts on students. He notes that beneath this seemingly effective measure, a multitude of unintended consequences lurk, some of which profoundly affect both the individual student and the broader community. And often, there is more harm than good done by this measure, particularly for students of color.  Kupchik has appeared in a number of outlets including Time magazine and Delaware Public Media. He can be reached by clicking on his profile.

2 min

New survey shows lack of public trust in Musk, DOGE

New data from the Center for Political Communication (CPC) at the University of Delaware shows many Americans have little trust in either Elon Musk or the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a nationally-representative sample of 1,600 adult Americans surveyed by YouGov between February 27 and March 5, 2025, CPC researchers asked how much trust respondents had in various people and institutions, including Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency, and President Trump. Among the key findings: • 25% of Americans report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Elon Musk 26% report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). • 33% report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in President Donald Trump. • About half of Republicans report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in either (compared to 70% of Republicans who report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in President Trump). • Among independent voters, only 11% report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Musk and 13% in DOGE. “As constituents in Republican districts learn about and voice concerns about DOGE’s cuts to Veteran’s Affairs, The National Institutes of Health, National Parks, and the Federal Aviation Administration, it will be interesting to see how public trust in Musk and DOGE may be affected,” said Dr. Dannagal Young, Director of the Center for Political Communication and one of the authors of the survey. “Understanding public sentiment about these unique government entities is essential to help ensure that elected officials are responsive to voter concerns." Visit the CPC's website for full results of the survey. To connect with Young for an interview, visit her profile and click the contact button.

View all posts