Noninvasive, remote methods and apparatus for detecting early phases of
neuro diseases such as the non-tremor phase of Parkinson's disease,
dyskinesia, dyslexia and neuroatrophy, etc., are disclosed. Five words
spoken either directly into a microphone connected to a local analysis
system or remotely, as by way of a telephone link to a system for
analysis of time and frequency domains of speech characteristics are
representative of the presence of disease. The method includes the steps
of transducing a set of unmodified spoken words or numbers into
electrical signals which are bandlimited and amplified. These signals are
analyzed in both time and frequency domains to detect and measure the
manifestation of neurological disorders in the envelope of the time
representation and spectral density of the words. Detection is carried
out when the subject's body is in contact with neither a sensor nor an
instrument, nor subjected to any other invasive means such as providing
body fluids or breath, and without the need to perform any psychomotor
functions.