A study led by Indian-origin scientist has found a new way to detect Alzheimer's disease over the phone just by listening to their voices. Alzheimer’s is a most common type of dementia which includes symptoms like forgetfulness of names, faces and events, confusion while handling money or driving car, personality changes, mood swings, unsettling behaviour and loss of inhibition.

Sona Patel, Professor at the Seton Hall University in New Jersey is conducting research on the vocal impacts of the disorder by receiving $380,000, three-year grant from the National Institute of Deafness and Communicative Disorders to carry out research.

"Your voice is really important," Patel was quoted as saying. "You react to (stimuli) with your voice automatically, without even realizing it... now, the question is if we can use (voices) to indicate other neurological disorders," she said.

"By the time the disease has progressed enough to be properly diagnosed, there is not much you can do," she said.

Patel said that would not only increase early detection in the US, but could have a great impact on third world countries, where the disease is often never properly diagnosed or treated.

By Lizitha