T01 - Digital biomarkers for speech changes in Parkinson‘s disease
The project aims to transfer foundational knowledge about phonetic-prosodic changes in the speech system of neurotypical and pathological speakers into a clinical context. Together with our industry partner ki:elements GmbH, we are developing an algorithm that reliably detects clinically relevant speech changes in Parkinson’s disease using digital biomarkers. The algorithm is intended for long-term use in clinical practice to help preserve the communication abilities of Parkinson's patients through timely speech therapy.
Team
Prof. Dr. Doris Mücke
Project Leader T01
Office: Phonetics, Herbert-Lewin-Str.6E-Mail: doris.muecke(at)uni-koeln.de
Phone: (+49) 221 470-4256
Prof. Dr. Michael T. Barbe
Project Leader T01
Office: Neurology, Kerpener Str. 62E-Mail: michael.barbe(at)uk-koeln.de
Phone: (+49) 221 478-7494
Dr. Tabea Thies
Project Partner T01
Office: Neurology, Karpener Str. 62E-Mail: tabea.thies(at)ki-elements.de
Phone: (+49) 221 47898578
Dr. Ilona Rubi - Fessen
Associated Researcher T01
Office: Chair in Speech Language Pathology, Klosterstr. 79bE-Mail: ilona.rubi-fessen(at)uni-koeln.de
Phone: (+49) 221 4705508
Dr. Joshua Strelow
Post Doc T01
Office: Neurology, Kerpener Str. 62E-Mail: joshua.strelow2(at)uk-koeln.de
Phone: (+49) 221 478-4013
Ulrike Rupprecht
Doctoral Student T01
Office: Neurologie, Karpener Str. 62E-Mail: u.rupprecht(at)uni-koeln.de
ki:elements GmbH
Project partner T01
Office: Bleichstr. 27, SaarbrückenE-Mail: info(at)ki-elements.de
Phone: (+49) 681372009200
Student Assistants
Timnah Kaufmann
Julia Thoß
Publications
To appear
- Thies, Tabea, Philipp Buech & Anne Hermes. To appear. A comparison of capturing speech breathing using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography and Electromagnetic Articulography. PLoS One.
2026
- Schumacher, Petra B & Doris Mücke. 2026. Experimentelle Methoden: Eine Einführung. Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler.
- Tripoliti, Elina, Takashi Tsuboi, Michael T. Barbe, Mario Sousa, et al. 2026. Speech and Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinsons’s Disease, Essential Tremor, and Dystonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Movement Disorders. PubMed.
2025
- Fougeron, Cécile, Louis Goldstein, Frank Guenther, Hélène Lœvenbruck, Antje Mefferd, Doris Mücke, Benjamin Parrell, et al. 2025. Transcription of the workshop Speech Production Models and Empirical Evidence from Typical and Pathological Speech. 13 May 2024, Grenoble, France.
- Herbig, Elisa, Doris Mücke, Michael T. Barbe & Tabea Thies. 2025. Executive dysfunctions impair and levodopa improves articulatory timing in Parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 19.
- Thies, Tabea, Elisa Mallick, Johannes Tröger, Ebru Baykara, Doris Mücke & Michael T. Barbe. 2025. Automatic speech analysis combined with machine learning reliably predicts the motor state in people with Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinsons Disease 11(105). pdf