Just a few minutes of ordinary phone calls may be enough for a unique mobile app to detect Parkinson’s disease in its…
Just a few minutes of ordinary phone calls may be enough for a unique mobile app to detect Parkinson’s disease in its early stages. This exceptional software is being developed by a team of scientists from NEUR-IN, 1. Medical Faculty of Charles University and Faculty of Electrical Engineering of CTU.
Speech disorders are among the first signs of Parkinson’s disease. The app analyses the caller’s speech in real calls, identifying subtle changes in the voice such as monotony, reduced intelligibility or changes in rhythm, and can detect incipient disease, according to the researchers.
Over 70 participants were involved in the trial, including patients with early Parkinson’s disease as well as those with signs of REM sleep behaviour disorder, which can be a precursor to neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers have found that approximately 18 minutes of speaking during a conversation or about 120 words while reading a text is enough for evaluation.
The app is still in the testing phase, but the results are promising. NEUR-IN researchers plan further validation on different types of phones and in different languages, with the aim of preparing the application for wider use in practice.
More information can be found HERE.
