Parkinson’s disease, a neurological condition that affects the brain and causes uncontrollable movements such as shaking, tremors, and stiffness, is the fastest growing neurological disorder worldwide. The disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain, and currently, there is no cure.
Parkinson’s UK estimates that around 153,000 people are living with a Parkinson’s diagnosis in the UK as of 2023. While tremors and slow movement are the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, studies have shown a symptom that could present long before a person is diagnosed.
Researchers have previously reported a link between a Parkinson’s disease gene and vocal issues, leading to a soft monotonous voice. These vocal symptoms often appear much earlier – sometimes decades – before movement-related issues, according to a study conducted on songbirds by neuroscientists in the lab of Julie E Miller, assistant professor at the University of Arizona, reports Surrey Live.
Studying the zebra finch, whose brain that deals with speech and language is also organised very similarly to humans, scientists found the gene did affect song production. The birds with the gene sang less after two months, and they sang less at the start of a song session three months after receiving the gene.
Their vocalisations were also softer and shorter – findings similar to what is seen in Parkinson’s disease.
A groundbreaking study has paved the way for an innovative screening technique that could identify Parkinson’s Disease through voice analysis. Developed by experts in Santa Monica, California, the new method reported success rates of 80 to 90 percent in distinguishing Parkinson’s patients from those without the condition.
The American Parkinson Disease Association underlines four key motor symptoms, including bradykinesia – slow movement – which can significantly alter a person’s speech. Affected individuals might sound softer or begin speaking strongly only to fade.
Their speech may lack normal variation in volume and emotion, sometimes resulting in a monotone or in more severe cases, rapid and crowded speech, or even stuttering. Moreover, the “mask-like” facial expression caused by bradykinesia makes it challenging to read emotions.
Speech difficulties experienced by those with Parkinson’s differ widely, with some people struggling to find the correct words. For all the latest news from Scotland and across the globe, don’t forget to subscribe to our daily newsletter.