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Reading 2 min.
in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
Medical validation:
March 05, 2024
Do you sometimes struggle for words and worry about your brain health? According to a recent study, pausing to find the right word is less worrying than speaking at a slow rate.
Are you having trouble finding your words these days? Is your speech rate slower than usual? Be careful, some of these signs may be indicative of faulty brain activity according to researchers from Baycrest and the University of Toronto.
Speech rate more meaningful than pausing
For this study, 125 individuals aged 18 to 90 in “good health” were recruited. Everyone took part in three tests:
- They had to name an object present in front of them while hearing static words in their headphones;
- They had to orally describe a complex image for one minute;
- They had to pass a test of information management, concentration and ability to avoid distractions.
Among other things, the researchers looked at how quickly each participant spoke and how long they paused.
Result? Not surprisingly, the older the candidates were, the slower they spoke. In other words, the age of the participants affected their speaking rate.
How quickly participants were able to name pictures predicted how quickly they spoke in general, and both were linked to executive function. In other words, it wasn’t about stopping to find the words that showed the strongest link to brain health, but rather the speed of speech surrounding the pauses.
Although many older adults worry about having to take a break to look up words, these findings suggest that it is a normal part of aging. Conversely, slowing of normal speech, independent of pauses, may be a more important indicator of cognitive decline.
A simple test to assess cognitive health?
Thanks to these discoveries, scientists believe that certain diseases (such as Alzheimer’s, where speech disorders are common) can be more easily detected.
“Speech speed should be part of standard cognitive tests to allow doctors to detect cognitive decline more quickly“, assures Dr. Jed A. Meltzer, co-author of the study. And adds: “these tests could help adults monitor their brain health.”
For his part, Dr. Gérald Kierzek believes that “These results are rather logical since the rate of speech reflects the speed of thought and the proper activation of the muscles. The response time in fact reflects neurological alertness.
Until new research is published on the subject, slowed speech rate – potentially associated with other cognitive or behavioral symptoms – requires further medical evaluation.
It can be the manifestation of different conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, a form of dementia or even a depressive state (depressed people may speak more slowly, because this disease affects general energy).
Slide: Everything my voice says about me…