Past studies have found that the mental decline and memory loss associated with neurodegenerative diseases are often preceded by mental health-related symptoms, such as low mood, a lack of motivation, anxiety and irritability. So far, however, the early detection of neurodegenerative conditions based on the emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms has proved challenging.

Researchers at Chongqing Medical University and the Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases recently explored the potential of a new approach to predict the onset of cognitive decline, which combines biological samples with machine learning.