Speech an indicator of depression
According to the researchers, speech is a strong marker of brain health and changes in how we speak reflects how well our brain is working. Image: Dee21/iStockphoto Speech can measure the severity of depression as well as a patient’s response to treatment, a new collaborative study between the University of Melbourne and the Center for Psychological Consultation in Wisconsin, USA has revealed.The study, the largest of its kind in the world and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, found that improvement in patients diagnosed with depression and undergoing treatment can be monitored over the phone by looking at changes in their speech.Dr Adam Vogel, Head of the Speech Neuroscience Unit at the University of Melbourne, said that speech is a strong marker of brain health, and changes in how we sound reflects how well our brain is working.“The speech of people with depression changes when they respond to treatment, becoming faster and...