Scientists say the speed of a person's speech, not just how quickly they can recall a word, could be an early warning sign of dementia. Early signs of Alzheimer's disease — which affects more than six million Americans — may include changes in talking speed that reflect underlying brain decline. But the strongest link between speech and brain health was the speed at which the words came out when a person was talking, not the hesitations or length of gaps between words. A growing body of research shows that speech is a hallmark warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and frontotemporal dementia. While six million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, roughly 10 million have mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to a dementia diagnosis.

Source: Daily Mail March 24, 2026 00:49 UTC