Speech and language biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease prediction, early diagnosis and progression

Parkinson's disease (PD), a multifaceted neurodegenerative disorder, can manifest as an array of motor and non-motor symptoms. Among these, speech and language impairments are particularly prevalent, often preceding motor dysfunctions. Emerging research indicates that these impairments may serve as early disease indicators. In this narrative review, we synthesised current findings on the potential of speech and language symptoms in PD identification and progression monitoring. Our review highlights convergent, albeit preliminary, lines of evidence supporting the value of speech-related features in detecting early or prodromal PD, even across language groups, especially with sophisticated analytical techniques.…