Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 30 to 75

Using speech analysis to understand emotions, movement, and cognition in Parkinson's disease

Official title: SPEECH as Biomarker for Emotion, Movement and cOgnition in Parkinson's Disease

Run by Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern · NCT05765110 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study tests if analyzing speech can help understand changes in movement, emotions, and thinking in people with Parkinson's disease to improve their treatment.

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages30 Years to 75 Years
SexAll
Enrollment80 (estimated)
SponsorInsel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
Academic / other
Locations2 sites (Prague and 1 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJanuary 3, 2023
Main results expectedDecember 31, 2026
Study endsDecember 31, 2026
Registry record updatedMay 22, 2026
Trial IDNCT05765110 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates for this study are adults aged 30 to 75 with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who are fluent in German or French.

Probably not a fit

Patients with speech disorders unrelated to Parkinson's disease, significant cognitive impairment, or other neurological conditions may not benefit from this study.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study investigates the potential of computerized speech analysis to objectively detect fluctuations in motor function, emotional state, and cognitive processes in patients with Parkinson's disease. By analyzing speech patterns, the researchers aim to gain insights into how these three aspects are affected by the disease and its treatments, including medication and deep brain stimulation. The study will also include healthy subjects as a control group to compare speech changes in different contexts. The goal is to improve therapy management for Parkinson's patients through detailed analysis of their speech.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to more effective management of Parkinson's disease by providing a reliable method to monitor and adjust treatments based on real-time speech analysis.

How similar studies have gone: While the use of speech analysis in clinical settings is emerging, this specific approach to monitor Parkinson's disease fluctuations is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested in prior studies.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Inclusion Criteria:

* Written informed consent
* Idiopathic PD according to the Movement Disorders Society Criteria;
* Age of participants \> 30 and ≤ 75 years;
* Treatment with or without bilateral deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus;
* Fluent in German or French

Exclusion Criteria:

* Dysarthria caused in addition by a condition other than PD (e.g. stroke, myasthenia);
* Clinical diagnosis of aphasia;
* Brain disease other than Parkinson's disease (e.g. atypical Parkinsonism, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, etc.).
* Cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) \< 24/30 points);
* Depression with acute suicidal ideation

Healthy Controls

Inclusion Criteria:

* Written informed consent
* Adults from 50-70 years old;
* Fluent in German or French

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease;
* Cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) \< 24/30 points);
* Suffering from brain disease (e.g. atypical Parkinsonism, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, etc.);
* Clinical diagnosis of aphasia, dysarthria, and stuttering;
* Suffering from or diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses according to DSM-V criteria

Where it's running

  • University Hospital Inselspital, Berne
    Bern, Switzerland
    Recruiting
  • Czech Technical University Prague
    Prague, Czechia
    Active not recruiting

Study contacts

  • Principal investigator: Paul Krack, Prof. — Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
  • Study coordinator: Paul Krack, Prof.
  • Email: paul.krack@insel.ch
  • Phone: 31 66 4 03 71

Similar studies

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How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.