Researchers confirm that a computer-based natural language processing (NLP) analyses of speech transcripts can predict young people at risk for developing later psychosis. This interesting information came to us from Healio in their article, “Computer-based analysis of language may predict psychosis onset.

NLP is a branch of artificial intelligence that helps computers understand, interpret and manipulate human language. NLP draws from many disciplines, including computer science and computational linguistics, in its pursuit to fill the gap between human communication and computer understanding.

By characterizing early subtle language disturbances using linguistic analysis, high risk individuals can be identified before the onset of other more obvious symptoms, which will allow treatment to begin earlier. The automated machine-learning speech classifier had an 83% accuracy in predicting psychosis onset in high-risk young people. The NLP approach was highly correlated with previously identified predictive automated and manual linguistic features, indicating its concurrent validity.

Melody K. Smith

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