WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University speech scientist Jessica Huber has watched people with Parkinson’s disease struggle to speak, which often led to social isolation and depression.
She spent time with these patients as she organized support groups and involved them in her research program. The experience inspired Huber to invent a simple wearable device to help improve the world of these individuals, and it led to the development of her own company, SpeechVive.
“Some of these patients lose themselves within the disease, and I like seeing them come back to themselves,” Huber, a professor of speech, language and hearing sciences, said. “There is one guy who is really funny — just hysterical — but the disease affects the way he can express that humor vocally and facially because of the way the disease affects his muscles. But it comes back with the device. And I love seeing how other people see he is funny. It’s really rewarding to see that.”
Recently, SpeechVive was showcased at the third annual University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase. The showcase spotlighted 22 startup companies from across the nation that have created products and services using federally funded, university-based research.
SpeechVive’s mission is to improve the quality of communication and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease by empowering care partners and clinicians with technologies and support to restore the ability to communicate. Huber’s research has received ongoing funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Huber, associate dean for research in Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences, leads Purdue’s Motor Speech Lab. She also is a fellow for the National Academy of Inventors. At Purdue, she is the co-founder and associate director for the Center for Research on Brain, Behavior and NeuroRehabilitation, and a member of Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, and Center on Aging and the Life Course.
Most recently, Huber is working on virtual studies to evaluate speech disorders related to Parkinson’s disease using artificial intelligence technology platforms. And during the COVID-19 global health crisis, SpeechVive has made its remote calibration software and training available free. The software and training are available to all speech-language pathologists and their patients. Recently, her SpeechVive device received a Medicare billing code, expanding access to the device.
SpeechVive is a behind-the-ear smart device which helps people with Parkinson’s disease speak more loudly and communicate more effectively. The SpeechVive device is based on the research of inventor and co-founder Jessica Huber at Purdue University. Clinical data over four years demonstrated SpeechVive to be effective in improving volume, articulation and speech rate in 90% of the people participating in four multisite clinical trials. It is estimated that 1.5 million people in the U.S. and 10 million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson’s disease. To learn more about SpeechVive, visit speechvive.com.
