Two New Tests to Detect Parkinson's

Imagine being told you have a devastating disease, then finding out your doctor was wrong. Up to 30 percent of people diagnosed with early Parkinson's disease are misdiagnosed. Two very different tools are aiming to cut those mistakes and help patients get the treatment they need.
 
A new test called the Datscan measures the level of brain affected by Parkinson's. Another new test being developed could help diagnose Parkinson's over the phone in 30 seconds.

Just like your arms and legs your vocal organs are affected by the disease. A team headed by MIT's Doctor Max Little is working on a system that uses special software to predict Parkinson's,  based on how you say certain sounds. Dr. Little says in a small study, the test was proven to be 99 percent accurate. 

With a quick three minute call you can help researchers with the Parkinson's Voice Initiative. They're looking to collect 10,000 voices of people with and without Parkinson's worldwide. Their goal is to collect enough recordings to make the software reliable enough to work outside the lab, and potentially screen for the early signs of the disease.