University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
BMJ Open. 2024 Mar 28;14(3):e082388. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082388.
There is emerging evidence that speech may be a potential indicator and manifestation of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Therefore, the University of Edinburgh and Sony Research have partnered to create the Speech for Intelligent cognition change tracking and DEtection of Alzheimer's Disease (SIDE-AD) study, which aims to develop digital speech-based biomarkers for use in neurodegenerative disease.
SIDE-AD is an observational longitudinal study, collecting samples of spontaneous speech. Participants are recruited from existing cohort studies as well as from the National Health Service (NHS)memory clinics in Scotland. Using an online platform, participants record a voice sample talking about their brain health and rate their mood, anxiety and apathy. The speech biomarkers will be analysed longitudinally, and we will use machine learning and natural language processing technology to automate the assessment of the respondents' speech patterns.
The SIDE-AD study has been approved by the NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC reference: 23/WM/0153, protocol number AC23046, IRAS Project ID 323311) and received NHS management approvals from Lothian, Fife and Forth Valley NHS boards. Our main ethical considerations pertain to the remote administration of the study, such as taking remote consent. To address this, we implemented a consent process, whereby the first step of the consent is done entirely remotely but a member of the research team contacts the participant over the phone to consent participants to the optional, most sensitive, elements of the study. Results will be presented at conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals and communicated to study participants.
有新证据表明，言语可能是早期阿尔茨海默病（AD）病理的潜在指标和表现。因此，爱丁堡大学和索尼研究公司合作创建了“言语智能认知变化跟踪和阿尔茨海默病检测（SIDE-AD）研究”，旨在开发基于数字语音的生物标志物，用于神经退行性疾病。
SIDE-AD 是一项观察性纵向研究，收集自发言语样本。参与者从现有的队列研究以及苏格兰国民保健服务（NHS）的记忆诊所招募。参与者使用在线平台录制一段关于大脑健康的语音样本，并对他们的情绪、焦虑和冷漠进行评分。我们将对语音生物标志物进行纵向分析，并使用机器学习和自然语言处理技术来自动评估受访者的语音模式。
SIDE-AD 研究已获得 NHS 伦理委员会（REC 参考号：23/WM/0153，方案编号 AC23046，IRAS 项目 ID 323311）的批准，并获得了洛锡安、法夫和福尔河谷 NHS 董事会的 NHS 管理批准。我们的主要伦理考虑因素涉及研究的远程管理，例如远程同意。为了解决这个问题，我们实施了一个同意程序，其中同意的第一步完全远程完成，但研究团队的一名成员会通过电话联系参与者，以同意参与者参加研究的可选的、最敏感的部分。研究结果将在会议上展示，发表在同行评议的期刊上，并传达给研究参与者。
