A study has found that improvement in patients diagnosed with depression and undergoing treatment can be monitored over the phone by examining changes in their speech.
Researchers say 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 with shorter pauses. Those with more severe depression produce longer pauses and have slower speaking rates.
The findings offer greater treatment flexibility as patients from remote or rural areas can be monitored.
Read more at The University of Melbourne