London, April 17 (Inditop.com) A study has shown that a voice test could diagnose patients with Parkinson’s disease in the early stages.
Parkinson’s is normally only diagnosed once symptoms show – meaning it is already at an advanced stage and patients have lost a significant number of brain cells.
A computer programme developed by scientists at Haifa University in Israel can identify a Parkinson’s ‘voice’ and could be used for screening those who are at hereditary risk of the disease or as part of a national screening programme, reports dailymail.co.uk.
Experts say the technique will prove crucial for sufferers of the neurological disorder because drugs and treatments are much more effective if the disease is caught as soon as possible.
The new test needs only a couple of sentences-from patients.Doctors believe they could use earlier diagnoses from the technique to prevent the loss of up to 60 per cent of nerve cells in the area of the brain that controls movement.
