Testing for Parkinson’s disease by voice alone

There is no laboratory test for Parkinson’s. Clinical tests assess tremors but the patient’s voice can also identify the disease and its progression. Researchers at MIT and Oxford have developed an algorithm that identifies the condition in medium and advanced stages with 99% accuracy. They created a programme that asks 10,000 volunteers (whether or not affected by the disease) to make a free, anonymous 3-minute phone call. The aim is to collect enough data (in English and Spanish for now) to be able to identify the disease in its early stages from the voice alone.