THE OVERALL AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH A SPEECH/VOICE ANALYSIS LABORATORY TO SERVE IN 1.

THE OVERALL AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH A SPEECH/VOICE ANALYSIS LABORATORY TO SERVE IN 1. ASSISTING IN PRESYMPTOMATIC AND/OR EARLY DIAGNOSIS 2. DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF THESE MEASURES IN MONITORING EFFECTS OF MEDICATION; AND 3. DETERMINING THE PROBABILITY OF THESE MEASURES IN PREDICTING THE COURSE OF THESE DISORDERS. IN PHASE I, THE AIMS ARE: 1. TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING NEWLY DEVELOPED COMPUTERIZED SPEECH ANALYSIS EQUIPMENT, WITH OTHER MEASURES, TO ANALYZE SPECIFIC PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SPEECH; 2. TO DEVELOP NORMATIVE DATA ON THESE MEASURES TO COMPARE WITH EXISTING DATA OBTAINED THROUGH PROCEDURES NOT AMENABLE TO RAPID CLINICAL USE; 3. TO COMPARE RESULTS OF NORMAL SUBJECTS WITH DIAGNOSED EARLY PARKINSON'S PATIENTS TO DETERMINE WHICH PARAMETERS BEST DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN THE GROUPS; AND 4. ASSUMING POSITIVE RESULTS, PHASE II WILL EXPAND PATIENT POPULATION TO INCLUDE OTHER DISORDERS, VALIDATE PRESYMPTOMATIC MEASURES FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS, AND DETERMINE COMMERCIAL APPLICABILITY BY ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLINICAL SERVICE LABORATORY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES DEVELOPED.