A National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (Fondecyt) grant has been awarded to Dr. Adolfo García, a cognitive neuroscientist focused on language and interpersonal communication. His project, ‘Digital speech and language markers of extrasylvian dysfunction in neurodegeneration,’ seeks to identify specific digital indicators within speech and language that can reveal brain dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
“Language is a privileged window into brain function,” explains Dr. García. “Speech and comprehension impairments can be early signs of pathologies such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Our goal is to leverage digital tools to measure these changes with unprecedented accuracy and thus contribute to early diagnosis.”
The project seeks to develop linguistic and speech markers that can be used in clinical and research settings, enabling more efficient and less invasive detection of neurodegeneration. “Currently, diagnostic methods are expensive and, in many cases, inaccessible to large segments of the population. Digitizing these indicators could radically change the landscape, facilitating access to early and accurate assessments,” says the researcher.
Specifically, the study focuses on extrasylvian dysfunction, i.e., language disorders that do not originate in the regions classically associated with language processing, such as Broca’s area or Wernicke’s area. “We are interested in understanding how deterioration in other areas of the brain, such as the frontal lobe or angular gyrus, impacts language production and comprehension. Through digital tools and computational models, we seek to identify specific patterns that allow us to detect these alterations before clinical symptoms become evident,” explains Dr. García.
“We work with neuroscientists, engineers, and speech technology specialists to develop tools that allow us to analyze in detail the phonetic and syntactic characteristics of language in patients with neurodegenerative diseases,” he says. To this end, the research team will apply advanced speech analysis techniques, such as automatic speech recognition and syntactic structure assessment, to develop digital biomarkers that can be used in clinical settings and in research into neurodegenerative diseases.
Currently, the advances in Dr. García’s research and his team are already having an impact beyond the academic sphere, being used by various clinical institutions in Chile. “We are working with centers such as the Memory and Neuropsychiatry Center at the Hospital del Salvador, the Movement Disorders Center in Santiago, and the Geoscience and Metabolism Center, where our tools are being applied more extensively and systematically. They even generate reports that are already contributing to patients’ medical records,” he notes.
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Dr. García emphasizes that this study carries significant academic and social implications. “Our research is designed to have a real impact on patients’ quality of life,” he states. “If we can validate these linguistic markers, they could be incorporated into accessible clinical tools, benefiting both specialists and the families of those affected.”
Beyond its academic significance, Dr. García stresses the profound social impact of this research. “Our study is explicitly designed to improve patients’ quality of life,” he explains. “Validating these linguistic markers could lead to their integration into accessible clinical tools, offering tangible benefits for both medical professionals and the families of those affected.”
In this regard, the academic highlights that this research perfectly aligns with the Usach Faculty of Humanities’ dedication to social innovation. “Our faculty’s research extends beyond theoretical confines, striving to create tangible societal impacts,” he concludes. “This project serves as a prime example of how transdisciplinarity can significantly benefit public health and the well-being of the population.”