Researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel have found a way to measure speech patterns, inaudible to the human ear, to test if apparently healthy people have Parkinson's disease (PD). The team behind the research believes that this newly developed computer software could be used to test people who have PD in the family, or even to set up a national screening program. They believe diagnosing patients earlier could prevent much of the damage of the nerve cells in the area of the brain that controls movement.
Professor Shimon Sapir, who developed the new test, said: "People have tried speech recognition methods previously, but they have not really been accurate enough to distinguish between the healthy and those with early Parkinson's. What we have done is to rework the way we analyze speech so that we can accurately use it for diagnosis."
Research included American scientists and funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
If detected in an early stage, malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, can be removed.
Observe your skin regularly for changes in moles or dark spots. The ABCD of detection is: Asymmetry (one half unlike the other half), Border (irregular, scalloped or poorly defined), Color (varies from one area to another; shades of tan and brown, black; sometimes white, red or blue), and Diameter (the size of a pencil eraser or larger). A mole with any of these characteristics, or one that is an "ugly duckling", meaning it looks different from the rest, should be brought to a dermatologist's attention.