Telling strained voices apart from shaky voices to improve diagnosis
Official title: Characterization of clinical phenotypes of laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor
Funded at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary · NIH-11161197 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for clear voice and clinical features to help people with strained, stopped, or shaky speech get the right diagnosis faster.
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 start | September 15, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $142,592 |
| NIH project number | 5P50DC019900-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11161197 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have chronic intermittent strained/strangled voice, sudden voice stops or breathiness, or a voice that sounds shaky and are suspected to have laryngeal dystonia or voice tremor.
✕Less likely to help
People whose voice issues are clearly due to structural laryngeal lesions, acute infection, or non-neurological causes may not benefit from this diagnostic-focused project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will collect your voice recordings, medical history, and standardized clinical exams to compare people with suspected laryngeal dystonia or voice tremor. They will use listener ratings, acoustic measurements, and some new clinical tests to look for patterns that reliably separate the two conditions. Testing may include specific speaking and breathing tasks and computerized analysis of your recordings. The aim is to develop evidence-based signs doctors can use to diagnose more quickly and accurately.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could shorten the time to correct diagnosis and lead to better, more targeted treatment plans for people with these voice problems.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows current perceptual methods often misclassify laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor, so this project combines established acoustic and clinical tools with new measures in a partly novel approach.
Where this research is happening
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Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Simonyan, Kristina — Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
- Study coordinator: Simonyan, Kristina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Next-generation clinical profiling for laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor
A multi-site program is exploring what makes laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor different from other conditions, aiming to improve diagnosis and targeted treatments for people affected by these voice disorders.
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Deep brain stimulation to improve voice in laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor
Researchers will record brain activity during and before DBS surgery to learn how stimulation changes voice control in people with laryngeal dystonia or voice tremor.
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Brain causes of vocal spasms (laryngeal dystonia) and voice tremor
This project uses advanced brain imaging while people speak to find when and where brain activity goes wrong in laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor.
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Understanding voice spasms and tremors (laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor)
This program will map patterns and causes of voice spasms and tremors to help people with laryngeal dystonia or voice tremor get more accurate diagnoses and better treatments.
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Using deep brain stimulation to improve voice control in patients with movement disorders
This study is looking at how a treatment called deep brain stimulation can help people with movement disorders, like laryngeal dystonia and essential tremor, improve their voice control while they talk, so they can better understand how the brain affects voice production and find new ways to help those struggling with
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Exploring brain function in voice disorders like laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor
This study is looking at how the brain helps people with laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor speak, using special brain scans to find out what’s happening in their brains during speech, so we can better understand these conditions and improve treatment options for those affected.
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.