Föreläsningar och seminarier Gästseminarium: ENT surgeon and doctoral student Gustavo Noffs

ENT surgeon and doctoral student Gustavo Noffs, University of Melbourne

Tisdagen den 10 september, kl. 16:00-17:30

Title

Acoustic analysis of speech and Multiple Sclerosis disease status: towards tracking neurological progression.

Abstract

The last decades saw a great increase in the number and quality of treatment options for Multiple Sclerosis. Now, the aim is to keep the patient relapse and progression-free by tailoring therapy to the current disease stage and to individual characteristics. Further, very sensitive detection of progression is essential to detect treatment failure so early change in therapy can be trialed before irreversible dysfunction ensues. Measurements of speech production offer insight into the status of multiple neurological systems. Further, speech is spontaneously produced multiple times a day, offers practical advantages for data collection and continues to be produced in late disease stages of MS even when other functions used for monitoring, such walking, have ceased. In this talk, Gustavo will summarize the last two years of his studies in analysis of speech for tracking neurological progression in MS focusing on results from the cross-sectional phase of investigation, followed by interaction with the audience.  

Short bio:

Gustavo Noffs is currently a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where he learns from an experienced multidisciplinary research team in Multiple Sclerosis. Gustavo has previously worked for nine years as an Otolaryngologist Surgeon and junior lecturer in Brazil with focus in laryngology and voice. Before coming to Melbourne, he finished his Master by Research in Surgery in 2013, still in Brazil, by studying the effect of L-dopa on the electrophysiological response of laryngeal muscles of people with Parkinson’s Disease.