Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi Researchers Describe Research in Parkinson's Disease (Speech's syllabic rhythm and articulatory features produced under different auditory feedback conditions identify Parkinsonism).

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi has found that speech samples can be used as a diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease. The study involved 30 individuals with Parkinson's disease and 30 healthy subjects, who were asked to repeat a syllable sequence under different auditory feedback conditions. The results showed that individuals with Parkinson's disease had difficulties in whispering and articulating under altered auditory feedback conditions, exhibited delayed speech onset, and demonstrated inconsistent rhythmic structure compared to the control group. A machine-learning algorithm was then used to differentiate between the two groups, achieving an accuracy of 85.4%. This pilot study suggests that the proposed behavioral paradigm could be an objective and accessible test for identifying individuals with Parkinson's disease. [Extracted from the article]