A team of graduate students at the University of Limerick are investigating the measurement of voice and speech characteristics to help track the progression of Parkinson’s Disease and are looking for volunteers to participate.
As it is well known that Parkinson’s disease affects the voice, they believe it would be useful to develop a practical means for gathering voice samples from people with Parkinson’s for analysis by speech therapists as well as Parkinson’s specialists.
The purpose of this project is to see if effective monitoring of speech and voice can be conducted by individuals with Parkinson’s Disease in their own homes.
What will the study involve?
This research study will involve individuals with Parkinson’s Disease audio recording themselves reading a passage of text and completing specific speech tasks from home. You will be asked to complete these tasks before and after taking medication, which will take less than 10 minutes each time. You will be asked to complete this twice within 6 weeks.
Will your participation in this study be kept anonymous?
Yes, your identity will be kept anonymous.
What will happen to the information which you give?
All data collected for this research study will be kept confidential for the duration of the study, only available to the project team.
When does the study start?
The study will be starting shortly, in early March and be completed by late April
How is my voice recorded?
You will get a link to log into the project website which has all the instructions. Recording is done on your computer, tablet or phone (whichever you prefer) using the built in microphone, or your usual headphones that you would use for telephone or video calls.
Where should I do the recording?
The recording can be done anywhere, but we recommend a quiet place, away from outdoor noise or where other people are talking. The process should take no more than 10 minutes once you start.
More information will be coming soon, look out for an email from EOPD with full details on how to sign up.
