Phonotrauma
Conditions
Keywords
Voice Problems, Voice Disorders
Brief summary
The study compares two different forms of voice therapy, Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy and Casper-Based Confidential Flow Therapy. The target population are teachers because they have the highest risk for developing voice problems. For this study the investigators are primarily interested in seeing if Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT) and Casper-Based Confidential Flow Therapy (CBCFT) are equally effective at improving vocal functioning in teachers with phonotrauma, as assessed by the Voice Handicap Index (VHI).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALLessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy
Patients receive 8 sessions of therapy over a course of 4 weeks, with one double session per week.
BEHAVIORALCasper-Based Confidential Flow Therapy
Patients receive 8 sessions of therapy over a course of 4 weeks, with one double session per week.
Sponsors
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
University of Pittsburgh
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Full or part time teacher including college professor, daycare and preschool * 21 years of age and older * Complaints of voice problems declared to be lasting continuously for one month or more * Any structural or functional change to the larynx that appears related to phonation,including bilateral or unilateral lesions (assuming normal overlying epithelium based on clinical examination), non-specific edema, or erythema that appear by clinical history related to phonation, or primary muscle tension dysphonia or other condition related to phonation without lesions * No concurrent ear, nose and/or throat diagnoses, e.g. acute allergies, except for chronic allergies, sinusitis, and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) * No vocal fold hemorrhage * No known degenerative medical conditions (e.g., degenerative neuromuscular disease, malignant process undergoing treatment or with less than 5 years remission, uncontrolled systemic disease (e.g., auto immune disease, or hormonal condition) * Normal hearing to 30 dB at 1000Hz - 3000Hz in the better ear * The participant is able to start therapy within 6 weeks of the initial evaluation and can be scheduled for 8 sessions (two per visit) in a 6-week time period * Agreement by the participant to provide information regarding days missed from work during the previous year and the year following treatment
Exclusion criteria
* Known degenerative medical condition * Concurrent ear-nose-throat diagnosis, e.g., acute allergies (but chronic allergies, sinusitis, and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) are not
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Score on Voice Handicap Index (VHI) | one year |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Does LMRVT contribute to the actual acquisition of resonant voice in speech? | one year |
| Do LMRVT or CBCFT improve laryngeal appearance? | one year |
| Do LMRVT or CBCFT improve conversational voice quality? | one year |
| Do LMRVT or CBCFT reduce the occurrence of laryngeal microsurgery? | one year |
| Do LMRVT or CBCFT reduce the number of workdays lost annually? | one year |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed