---
title: Detect cognitive decline from speech
nct_id: NCT05765110
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT05765110"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05765110"
last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:04:51.716Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Detect cognitive decline from speech

**Goal (in five words):** Detect cognitive decline from speech

**Official Title:** SPEECH as Biomarker for Emotion, Movement and cOgnition in Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT05765110](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05765110)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
- **Target Enrollment:** 80 participants
- **Start Date:** 2023-01-03
- **Completion Date:** 2025-10-31
- **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease
- **Interventions:** Dopaminergic OFF drug state, DBS OFF state, Dopaminergic ON drug state, DBS ON state
- **Intervention Types:** OTHER

## Summary For Families

The team is looking to see whether patterns in speech can serve as an easy, objective biomarker for emotional state, movement symptoms, and cognitive changes in Parkinson's, so doctors could track these aspects more quickly and accurately. Participants have their voice recorded in different clinical states, comparing dopaminergic OFF versus ON (before and after levodopa or similar meds that improve motor symptoms) and DBS OFF versus ON for those with bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation, to find which speech features change with medication and DBS effects. The study seeks people with idiopathic PD over 30 and up to 75 years old, fluent in German or French, with or without bilateral STN DBS, normal cognition (MoCA 24 or higher) and no other brain or speech disorders, and also healthy controls aged 50 to 70 with similar language and cognitive requirements.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 30 Years
- **Maximum age:** 75 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Inclusion Criteria:

* Written informed consent
* Idiopathic PD according to the Movement Disorders Society Criteria;
* Age of participants \> 30 and ≤ 75 years;
* Treatment with or without bilateral deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus;
* Fluent in German or French

Exclusion Criteria:

* Dysarthria caused in addition by a condition other than PD (e.g. stroke, myasthenia);
* Clinical diagnosis of aphasia;
* Brain disease other than Parkinson's disease (e.g. atypical Parkinsonism, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, etc.).
* Cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) \< 24/30 points);
* Depression with acute suicidal ideation

Healthy Controls

Inclusion Criteria:

* Written informed consent
* Adults from 50-70 years old;
* Fluent in German or French

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease;
* Cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) \< 24/30 points);
* Suffering from brain disease (e.g. atypical Parkinsonism, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, etc.);
* Clinical diagnosis of aphasia, dysarthria, and stuttering;
* Suffering from or diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses according to DSM-V criteria
```

## Locations (2)

- Czech Technical University Prague, Prague, Czechia _(50.0880, 14.4208)_
- University Hospital Inselspital, Berne, Bern, Switzerland _(46.9481, 7.4474)_
  - Paul Krack, Prof. — (CONTACT) — 31 66 4 03 71 — paul.krack@insel.ch
  - Mario Sousa, MD — (CONTACT) — 31 664 23 49 — mario.sousa@insel.ch

## Central Contacts

- Paul Krack, Prof. — (CONTACT) — 31 66 4 03 71 — paul.krack@insel.ch
- Mario Sousa, MD — (CONTACT) — 31 664 23 49 — mario.sousa@insel.ch

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT05765110*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT05765110*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05765110*