Improving Voice Therapy for Muscle Tension Dysphonia
RTSS-Voice: Towards a unified system to classify treatments for muscle tension dysphonia
This project aims to understand what makes voice therapies effective for people with muscle tension dysphonia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11164508 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We want to make voice therapy better by figuring out exactly which parts of treatment help patients improve. Currently, it's hard to know why one therapy works better than another, or why some patients improve while others don't, even with the same treatment. This project will use a special framework, called RTSS-Voice, to clearly describe and compare the specific techniques used in various voice therapies. By doing this, we hope to create a common language for voice therapists and develop tools to help clinics adopt these clearer descriptions in their patient care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with muscle tension dysphonia who are undergoing or considering voice therapy are the focus of this work.
Not a fit: Patients not experiencing muscle tension dysphonia or those seeking immediate direct treatment may not directly benefit from this foundational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more precise and effective voice therapies, helping patients with muscle tension dysphonia achieve better and more consistent results.
How similar studies have performed: This project applies a novel, theory-driven framework to voice therapy, building on existing concepts for rehabilitation treatment specification.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Van Stan, Jarrad — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Van Stan, Jarrad
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.