Understanding how vocal effort affects early career teachers' voices
Official title: Neurobiological and psychobiological signatures of vocal effort in early career teachers
Funded at University Hospital Bonn · NIH-10687044 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how stress and personality traits affect voice problems in new teachers, especially those who have issues with muscle tension in their voices, and it aims to understand how stress impacts the brain's ability to control voice production.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University Hospital Bonn NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bonn, Germany) |
| Project start | September 1, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $427,931 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC018026-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10687044 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are female early career teachers aged 21-39 who experience vocal fatigue.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have vocal fatigue or are outside the specified age range may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of stress and personality traits on voice disorders in early career teachers, particularly focusing on primary muscle tension dysphonia (pMTD). Using advanced imaging techniques like functional MRI (fMRI), the study aims to explore how stress influences the brain's control over voice production. Participants, including both healthy individuals and those experiencing vocal fatigue, will undergo voice assessments while exposed to stressors, and their stress responses will be measured through salivary cortisol levels. The goal is to identify neurobiological patterns associated with vocal effort and fatigue.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better understanding and treatment options for voice disorders, improving the quality of life for affected individuals.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific approach of this research is novel, similar studies have shown that stress can significantly impact vocal health and performance.
Where this research is happening
-
University Hospital Bonn
Bonn, Germany Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dietrich, Maria — University Hospital Bonn
- Study coordinator: Dietrich, Maria
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.