Speech clarity and voice problems in children with vocal fold nodules
Intelligibility and dysphonia in children with vocal fold nodules
This project looks at whether focusing on how easy a child’s speech is to understand, rather than only voice sound, helps explain and improve communication for children with vocal fold nodules.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Temple Univ of the Commonwealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301004 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child has vocal fold nodules, this project uses previously recorded speech from children ages 3–9 to learn what makes their speech hard to understand. We will compare measures of voice quality (dysphonia) with measures of speech intelligibility and naturalness to see how they relate. Recordings come from three pediatric voice centers (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center). The goal is to identify how vocal and articulatory development affects speech clarity during a key childhood period.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children roughly ages 3–9 who have been diagnosed with vocal fold nodules and who have speech recordings or can be seen at pediatric voice clinics are the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Adults, children without vocal fold nodules, or children whose voice problems arise from other causes may not directly benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could shift therapy toward improving how well children are understood, which may help more kids communicate better at school and socially.
How similar studies have performed: Traditional voice therapy studies have shown mixed results for nodules and many children do not improve, and shifting focus to intelligibility is a newer, relatively untested approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Temple Univ of the Commonwealth — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heller Murray, Elizabeth Salmon — Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
- Study coordinator: Heller Murray, Elizabeth Salmon
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.