The first signs of Parkinson's disease may be different to what was originally thought.
Muscle stiffness, tremors and balance problems are normally the first signs and symptoms linked to the condition - which affects more than 10 million people worldwide. But now, scientists in Lithuania have said that that altered speech may strike before the symptoms due to motor function.
The researchers said that "changes in speech often occur" before the hallmark symptoms, which is why some people with early onset Parkinson's might speak quieter, reported The Mirror. Charities estimate that approximately 145,000 people in the UK, and around 500,000 people in the US suffer from Parkinson's - including Muhammad Ali, Ozzy Osbourne and Jeremy Paxman - so it is important that people are aware of the new research.
