Parkinson's disease is perhaps best known for its movement-related symptoms, particularly tremors and stiffness.

But the disease is also known to hinder vocal production, giving those with Parkinson's a soft monotonous voice. Those symptoms, research has suggested, often appear much earlier in the disease's development—sometimes decades before movement-related symptoms.

New research by University of Arizona neuroscientists suggests that a specific gene commonly associated with Parkinson's may be behind those vocal-related issues—a finding that could help lead to earlier diagnoses and treatments for Parkinson's patients.

The research was conducted in the lab of Julie E. Miller, an assistant professor of neuroscience and of speech, language, and hearing sciences in the College of Science.

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