Understanding how muscles control voice production in people with vocal fold paralysis
Official title: Muscle Control Mechanism of Voice Production in Vocal Fold Paralysis
Funded at Rochester Institute of Technology · NIH-10696434 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the muscles in your voice box work to produce sound, especially for people who have trouble with their vocal cords, and it hopes to find better ways to help improve their voices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rochester Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | July 9, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2021 |
| Award (this year) | $361,039 |
| NIH project number | 7R15DC019229-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10696434 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals diagnosed with vocal fold paralysis or related voice disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without any vocal fold dysfunction or those with conditions unrelated to voice production may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the mechanisms by which intrinsic laryngeal muscles control voice production, particularly in individuals with vocal fold paralysis. By utilizing advanced computer modeling and experimental data, the study aims to create a comprehensive dataset that captures the 3D geometry, position, tension, and stiffness of vocal folds during voice production. The goal is to better understand how muscle dysfunction affects voice outcomes, which could lead to improved treatment strategies for those with voice disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to enhanced therapies and interventions for individuals suffering from voice production issues due to vocal fold paralysis.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been significant research on voice production, this innovative approach combining 3D modeling and muscle control analysis is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xue, Qian — Rochester Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Xue, Qian
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Neuromuscular Junction Problems in Hyperkalemic Paralysis
A clinician-scientist is pursuing five years of advanced training and research to better understand and care for people with neuromuscular diseases related to hyperkalemic paralysis.
-
Restoring movement after paralysis with AI-powered copilots
A patient-facing AI-aided system would help people with paralysis perform everyday tasks by interpreting the user’s intent and guiding assistive robots.
-
CoPE II: Personalizing patient-reported outcomes for vocal fold paralysis care
Aimed at tailoring patient-reported outcome measures to each person with unilateral vocal fold paralysis to better guide treatment decisions.
-
Mobile brain-computer interface to help veterans with paralysis control devices
Aimed at improving a mobile brain-computer interface to help veterans with paralysis better control assistive devices at home.
-
Preventing awareness during paralysis in emergency ventilated patients and reducing PTSD
This project will change emergency department medication defaults to cut back on a paralytic drug and see if that lowers the chance that adults put on ventilators wake up while paralyzed and later develop PTSD.
-
Muscle stem cells to repair paralyzed vocal cords
This project uses muscle-derived stem cells to rebuild and strengthen paralyzed vocal cords in adults with vocal fold paralysis.
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.