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Researchers at the University of New South Wales are pioneering the use of sarcasm to detect frontotemporal dementia. The disorder renders sufferers incapable of empathy or detecting sarcasm through tone of voice.
Researchers stumbled across the technique after meeting with dementia patients and being total jerks about it. A doctor or carer would make the diagnosis after saying to the patient, “so we think you might have dementia, that’s great news.”
“You must be looking forward to that.”
An article detailing the discovery will be published in Lancet just as soon as the editors work out whether the researchers are yanking their chain or not.
The development builds on earlier work which found Alzheimer’s sufferers were unable to appreciate the riotous TV send-ups in sketch comedy.
