Researchers say they have discovered a subtle Parkinson's sign that is noticeable years before main symptoms appear. Parkinson's disease affects the brain and results in uncontrollable movements including shaking, tremors and stiffness that worsen over time.
It is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain and there is currently no cure for the disease, which 145,000 lived with in 2020, according to Parkinson's UK. As reported by the Daily Record, tremors and slow movement are the main tell-tale signs of Parkinson's disease - but scientists have discovered a symptom that could present long before a person is diagnosed.
Researchers have now found 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.
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Studying the zebra finch, whose brain that deals with speech and language is also organised very similarly to humans, scientists found the gene affected 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. This research is backed up by recent research which developed an automated screening method that can distinguish between the voices of Parkinson's patients and healthy individuals.
The Scientists at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California found their model could predict 80 to 90 percent of voices from those with Parkinson's Disease. The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) states there are four primary motor symptoms of the condition, one of which is bradykinesia (slow movement).
Bradykinesia, which is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease, could affect the way a person sounds. The voice may become softer, or it may start off strong and then fade away.
There could be a loss in the normal variation in volume and emotion in the voice - it could make someone sound monotone. In advanced stages of Parkinson's, the person's speech may become rapid, with the words crowded together; stuttering may also occur.
Bradykinesia can be demonstrated by a reduced or "mask-like" expression of the face. This is when you're unable to decipher how a person is feeling, as they seem expressionless. Problems with speech vary from person to person living with Parkinson's Disease. Other symptoms include:
- Slurred
- Mumbled
- Shaky
- Monotone
- Too rapid to understand
- Slow
- Stammering
- Soft, breathy, or hoarse
Many people with Parkinson's find that they have difficulty finding the right words, which is often frustrating.
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