Measuring voice tiredness in the lab and everyday life
Official title: Objective assessment of vocal fatigue in laboratory and real-world settings
Funded at University of Central Florida · NIH-11393450 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses wearable sensors, lab recordings, and machine learning to track how vocal tiredness builds up and recovers in adults who rely on their voice.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Central Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,996 |
| NIH project number | 4R00DC021235-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393450 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are vocally typical adults (21+) who frequently use their voice—such as teachers, singers, or public speakers—willing to do lab visits and wear ambulatory sensors.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21 or those with active, severe voice disorders currently receiving treatment may not be appropriate for or benefit from this study.
What this research studies
You'll come to the lab for controlled voice tasks while researchers record your voice with high-speed imaging, airflow and electroglottography, neck vibration sensors, breathing measures, and autonomic (heart/breath) monitors. After the lab session you'll wear small ambulatory sensors during your normal day so the team can capture real-world voicing and rest patterns. The study combines these signals with machine learning to create a multimodal picture of how vocal fatigue progresses and resolves. The researchers aim to identify specific voicing and resting behaviors that lead to fatigue and recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to objective tools that detect early voice fatigue and help people prevent or manage voice problems.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has used ambulatory voice monitoring and acoustic measures, but combining detailed multimodal lab measures with real-world sensors and advanced machine learning is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Central Florida
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghasemzadeh, Hamzeh — University of Central Florida
- Study coordinator: Ghasemzadeh, Hamzeh
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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.