Laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor data and analytics center
Research Core
Creating shared clinical and imaging databases and computer tools to help doctors tell apart laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor and track treatment results for people with these voice disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11161201 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This center will collect standardized clinical exams, voice recordings, imaging, and blood data from patients seen at several university hospitals and combine them into a secure shared database. The team will harmonize how symptoms and tests are recorded so data from different hospitals can be compared. Machine-learning methods will be trained on the combined data to improve diagnosis between laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor and to identify markers that show who responds to treatment. The Core will make these standardized data and analytic tools available to investigators across the Center to speed development of better diagnostic and outcome measures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with laryngeal dystonia or voice tremor who receive care at or can share records/imaging with one of the participating centers (MEEI, MGH, UofU, UCSF) would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without laryngeal dystonia or voice tremor, or those who cannot provide data or access care at participating sites, are unlikely to benefit directly from this core.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get more accurate diagnoses and clearer, data-driven guidance on which treatments are likely to help them.
How similar studies have performed: Related multi-site registries and machine-learning approaches have improved diagnosis in other neurological and voice disorders, but applying them specifically to laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Simonyan, Kristina — Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
- Study coordinator: Simonyan, Kristina
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.