# Researchers propose system to estimate verbal fluency index in Motor Neuron Disease using ASR and pause modelling

Digest AI · Research · published 2026-10-01T04:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/researchers-propose-system-to-estimate-verbal-fluency-index-in-motor-n

## Summary

A study published on arXiv proposes a system for estimating the Verbal Fluency Index (VFI) in people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) using automated speech analysis. The approach combines ASR via WhisperX and VAD via Silero with refined timestamping to predict VFI and extract clinically interpretable measures. The system was evaluated on a unique MND dataset and outperformed methods based on traditional acoustic features and self-supervised embeddings. The best models achieved strong results, with P-words showing an R² of 0.9 and NRMSE of 0.05, and S-words showing an R² of 0.8 and NRMSE of 0.08, using multiple regression algorithms. The researchers state that clinically inspired features consistently outperformed other feature sets, demonstrating the feasibility of automated VFI estimation for monitoring cognitive impairment in MND.

## Key points

- The system uses WhisperX for ASR and Silero for VAD with refined timestamping to estimate VFI in MND
- Best models achieved R² 0.9 and NRMSE 0.05 for P-words, and R² 0.8 and NRMSE 0.08 for S-words
- Clinically inspired features outperformed traditional acoustic features and self-supervised embeddings

## Why it matters

Automated estimation of verbal fluency could improve monitoring of cognitive impairment in MND, where speech difficulties complicate traditional assessment, enabling earlier intervention and better care planning.

## Sources

1. [Automatic estimation of verbal fluency index in people with Motor Neuron Disease using ASR alignment and pause modelling](https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.38203) (arXiv cs.CL, 2026-10-01, primary source)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Researchers propose system to estimate verbal fluency index in Motor Neuron Disease using ASR and pause modelling", 1 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/researchers-propose-system-to-estimate-verbal-fluency-index-in-motor-n

---

Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record. Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse
JSON: https://digestai.news/story/researchers-propose-system-to-estimate-verbal-fluency-index-in-motor-n.json