The first warning signs of Parkinson’s might not be what you think

By MiNDFOOD

Michael J Fox is working with researchers on a vaccination trial for Parkinson's disease.
Michael J Fox is working with researchers on a vaccination trial for Parkinson's disease.
The tell-tale signs of Parkinson's are widely known as muscle stiffness, tremors and balance problems, experts claim.

New researchers using voice data in Lithuania now believe altered speech may be the first warning sign of the disease.

Parkinson’s is caused by a loss of nerve cells in an area of the brain responsible for producing dopamine, which helps co-ordinate body movement. It affects more than 10 million people around the world. There is no cure, but if symptoms are noticed early, the disease can be controlled.

While motor activity decreases over time, changes in speech often occur earlier. New research has suggested this may be the first sign.

Professor Virgilijus Ulozas suggests patients with early-stage Parkinson’s may speak quieter than normal, being less expressive than normal.

It gets worse over time as more cells die, with sufferers eventually left struggling to complete day-to-day tasks. Symptoms, such as muscle stiffness, often only appear when about 80 per cent of the nerve cells have been lost.

New Parkinson Research 

The researchers used AI to study speech samples of 61 patients with Parkinson’s and 43 healthy volunteers. An algorithm processed the recordings and analysed the differences in speech.

Naveena Kapur, from Parkinson’s UK, said altered speech is a symptom for many, but not all, people with the condition.

Ms Kapur added: ‘There is currently no definitive test for detecting Parkinson’s. This research focuses on detecting altered speech as an early symptom.

‘The results are taken from people who have already been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This is to confirm that the AI technology is able to detect altered speech as an early sign of Parkinson’s.

‘Participants who don’t have the condition will need to be studied for a long period of time to see if they eventually develop the condition in years to come.

‘It is great to see more research into early detection of Parkinson’s so that we have new ways to diagnose and monitor the condition as early intervention and treatment can really help people to live well with the condition.’

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Print Recipe

BECOME A MiNDFOOD SUBSCRIBER TODAY

Let us keep you up to date with our weekly MiNDFOOD e-newsletters which include the weekly menu plan, health and news updates or tempt your taste buds with the MiNDFOOD Daily Recipe. 

Member Login