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Voice Algorithms Spot Parkinson's Disease

another random user writes "Mathematician Max Little discovered that Parkinson's symptoms can be detected by computer algorithms that analyze voice recordings. Now he is looking for volunteers to contribute to a vast voice bank to help the database to learn even more. He is aiming to record up to 10,000 voices and has set up local numbers in 10 countries around the world."

7 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Recording by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    "After the tone, please say your full name; your date of birth; your address; and your social security number. And thank you for helping fund Parkinson research. BEEEEP."

  2. The insurance companies are going to love this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When you call to buy insurance

  3. Really exciting by Greenspark · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is fascinating! I wonder if this will prove to not only identify patients currently expressing symptoms, but have a predictive quality for determining who will suffer from the disease before other tools can detect it. Having an earlier look at patients and charting the developments in their brain would really improve doctors' understanding and probably advance research into treatments quite a bit! if voice can be found to accurately indicate or even predict a disease like parkinsons... what else can it demonstrate? This might be the beginning of a new form of diagnostic sciences.

    1. Re:Really exciting by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

      You mean like this?

      Analyzing Speech to Detect Financial Misreporting
      www.hbs.edu/units/am/pdf/HMV010410.pdf

      How a person talks can already be used to gauge the amount of respect they have for themselves and one another.

  4. Re:LOL by kanto · · Score: 2

    Will it also detect when Michael J Fox intentionally goes off his meds before going on TV to exaggerate his symptoms?

    It's not like the people on Fox News do anything different.

  5. How about Hitler? by T.E.D. · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It has been speculated that he suffered from Parkingsons. There's certianly plenty of voice recordings of him, covering many years of activity. This ought to be a great way to test both the software and the theories.

    ps. Sorry for Godwining the story so early

  6. Re:Obamacare eliminates this in 2014 by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 2

    We will find out this week if that protection will be allowed by SCOTUS.