MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MASSACHUSETTS, USA. A system using voice algorithms to diagnose Parkinson’s disease has been developed recently. Right now, people around the world are being encouraged to test the system which uses speech-processing algorithm. It helps identify changes in the person’s voice with the disease.
If it works how it really should, this could mean the end of invasive physical exams for a range of diseases as well. Soon, a lot of people around the world will be making the most important 3-minute call of their lives to a computer. That way, they will be able to tell if they have Parkinson’s disease or not.
The promise of “smart medicines” has been long due. It would really be worth celebrating to know that finally, we can enjoy faster, more accurate and non-invasive methods of diagnosing different diseases. Currently, there are over six million people worldwide who are affected with Parkinson’s disease. Surgery and prescriptions drugs are only used to hold back its progression. As we speak, there is no known cure for the disease yet.
Another technology currently being used to diagnose Parkinson’s disease is the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. It is one of the most commonly used methods to see the symptoms of the disease. The only problem is that it is very time-consuming and expensive. At the same time, people are required to go to the clinic to undergo different tests which can usually be very inconvenient.
Max Little and his team have been working on the system for quite some time now and finally, they get it to work. They just need to make sure that everything will work out smoothly when they make it available for everyone. As of the moment, they have already managed to gather almost 10,000 callers to try out the technology.
Aside from diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, speech algorithms are also being applied to several other diagnostics. For example, it is being used to spot anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression to help out soldiers who are returning from war. We can expect a lot of development from this technology in the next few years to come. Hopefully, this is an easier, faster and more affordable option that we can all be entitled to.
| Invention | Speech-processing Algorithm |
|---|---|
| Organization | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, United States |
| Researcher | Max Little and his team |
| Field(s) | Parkinson’s Disease, Mobile Technology, Speech-processing Algorithm, Smart Medicine |
| Further Information | New Scientist |
