Speech differences between multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease

Tom Hähnel; Anna Nemitz; Katja Schön; Luise Berger; Annemarie Vogel; Doreen Gruber; Nils Schnalke; Stefan Bräuer; Björn H. Falkenburger; Florin Gandor

doi:10.1002/mdc3.70094

Speech differences between multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease

Tom Hähnel, Anna Nemitz, Katja Schön, Luise Berger, Annemarie Vogel, Doreen Gruber, Nils Schnalke, Stefan Bräuer, Björn H. Falkenburger, Florin Gandor

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Background: Delineation of Parkinson's disease (PD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA) can be challenging in early disease stages. Speech characteristics have been studied as digital biomarkers in PD and ataxias. Currently, data on speech in MSA is limited.

Objectives: To determine whether speech characteristics can serve as a digital biomarker to differentiate between MSA and PD.

Methods: Twenty-one MSA patients and 23 PD patients underwent a battery of speech assessments: text reading, sustained phonation and diadochokinetic tasks. Speech characteristics were extracted using the software, Praat.

Results: MSA and PD speech can be described by three meaningful factors. MSA speech exhibited more reading pauses, higher pitch variability, prolonged syllables, and a more irregular speech rhythm, allowing differentiation from PD with a ROC-AUC of 0.89. Speech characteristics were correlated with motor impairment and disease severity.

Conclusion: MSA can be differentiated from PD with good accuracy using speech analysis.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1391-1397
Number of pages	7
Journal	Movement Disorders Clinical Practice
Volume	12
Issue number	9
Early online date	3 May 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.70094
Publication status	Published - Sept 2025

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

voice
Parkinson's disease
speech
multiple system atrophy
dysarthria

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10.1002/mdc3.70094Licence: CC BY

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 930 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Speech differences between multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease",

abstract = "Background: Delineation of Parkinson's disease (PD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA) can be challenging in early disease stages. Speech characteristics have been studied as digital biomarkers in PD and ataxias. Currently, data on speech in MSA is limited.Objectives: To determine whether speech characteristics can serve as a digital biomarker to differentiate between MSA and PD.Methods: Twenty-one MSA patients and 23 PD patients underwent a battery of speech assessments: text reading, sustained phonation and diadochokinetic tasks. Speech characteristics were extracted using the software, Praat.Results: MSA and PD speech can be described by three meaningful factors. MSA speech exhibited more reading pauses, higher pitch variability, prolonged syllables, and a more irregular speech rhythm, allowing differentiation from PD with a ROC-AUC of 0.89. Speech characteristics were correlated with motor impairment and disease severity.Conclusion: MSA can be differentiated from PD with good accuracy using speech analysis.",

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doi = "10.1002/mdc3.70094",

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AU - Hähnel, Tom

AU - Nemitz, Anna

AU - Schön, Katja

AU - Berger, Luise

AU - Vogel, Annemarie

AU - Gruber, Doreen

AU - Schnalke, Nils

AU - Bräuer, Stefan

AU - Falkenburger, Björn H.

AU - Gandor, Florin

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2025/9

Y1 - 2025/9

N2 - Background: Delineation of Parkinson's disease (PD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA) can be challenging in early disease stages. Speech characteristics have been studied as digital biomarkers in PD and ataxias. Currently, data on speech in MSA is limited.Objectives: To determine whether speech characteristics can serve as a digital biomarker to differentiate between MSA and PD.Methods: Twenty-one MSA patients and 23 PD patients underwent a battery of speech assessments: text reading, sustained phonation and diadochokinetic tasks. Speech characteristics were extracted using the software, Praat.Results: MSA and PD speech can be described by three meaningful factors. MSA speech exhibited more reading pauses, higher pitch variability, prolonged syllables, and a more irregular speech rhythm, allowing differentiation from PD with a ROC-AUC of 0.89. Speech characteristics were correlated with motor impairment and disease severity.Conclusion: MSA can be differentiated from PD with good accuracy using speech analysis.

AB - Background: Delineation of Parkinson's disease (PD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA) can be challenging in early disease stages. Speech characteristics have been studied as digital biomarkers in PD and ataxias. Currently, data on speech in MSA is limited.Objectives: To determine whether speech characteristics can serve as a digital biomarker to differentiate between MSA and PD.Methods: Twenty-one MSA patients and 23 PD patients underwent a battery of speech assessments: text reading, sustained phonation and diadochokinetic tasks. Speech characteristics were extracted using the software, Praat.Results: MSA and PD speech can be described by three meaningful factors. MSA speech exhibited more reading pauses, higher pitch variability, prolonged syllables, and a more irregular speech rhythm, allowing differentiation from PD with a ROC-AUC of 0.89. Speech characteristics were correlated with motor impairment and disease severity.Conclusion: MSA can be differentiated from PD with good accuracy using speech analysis.

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KW - multiple system atrophy

KW - dysarthria

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JO - Movement Disorders Clinical Practice

JF - Movement Disorders Clinical Practice

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ER -

Speech differences between multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease

Abstract

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