Conversation-first versus step-by-step voice therapy to improve everyday speaking
Official title: Deconstructing Voice Therapy: Towards Enhanced Communication Outcomes
Run by Emory University · NCT07176988 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will test whether starting voice therapy with real conversations (Conversation Training Therapy) versus a traditional step-by-step approach gives better 12-month voice outcomes for adults with muscle tension dysphonia or benign vocal fold lesions.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 16 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Emory University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Atlanta, Georgia) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 3, 2025 |
| Main results expected | April 2029 |
| Study ends | April 2029 |
| Registry record updated | October 20, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07176988 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults who are non-smokers, diagnosed with primary muscle tension dysphonia (hyperadducted) or benign vocal fold lesions, with normal hearing, no recent voice therapy or surgery, and willing to attend visits and use a smartphone for practice are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with neuro-laryngologic disorders, age-related vocal fold atrophy, abnormal hearing, recent voice therapy or surgery within the past year, or serious chronic conditions affecting voice are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional trial randomly assigns adults with primary muscle tension dysphonia or benign vocal fold lesions to either a hierarchical, stepwise voice therapy or a conversation-first approach called Conversation Training Therapy (CTT). Treatment is delivered by voice-specialized speech-language pathologists with follow-up over 12 months to measure voice outcomes and patient-reported changes. The study also measures acoustic features of clear speech and how adoption of clear speech relates to vocal and patient-reported outcomes. Participants must be non-smokers with normal hearing, no recent voice therapy or surgery, and willing to attend sessions and use a smartphone for practice recordings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve long-term speaking ability and help patients carry therapy skills into everyday conversations.
How similar studies have gone: Traditional behavioral voice therapies have shown benefit but mixed long-term success, and the conversation-first CTT approach is a newer, relatively untested method with limited prior evidence.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Non-smoking * Diagnosis of either primary muscle tension dysphonia of the hyperadducted type or benign vocal fold lesions. * No neuro-laryngologic or age-related vocal fold changes (e.g., atrophy) * No history of voice therapy or voice surgery in the last year * No history of other serious chronic medical conditions that may affect voice (per patient report), Normal hearing (determined by pure tone audiometry), stimulable and appropriate for behavioral voice intervention as determined by a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist and laryngologist, * Willingness to attend all therapeutic interventions and follow-up sessions * Willingness to use a smartphone to record practice Exclusion Criteria: * History of voice therapy or voice surgery in the last year * Serious chronic medical condition that may affect voice (per patient report) * Abnormal hearing ability (despite appropriate amplification) * Other laryngeal disorders not attributed to primary MTD and benign vocal fold lesions, * Not stimulable or inappropriate for behavioral voice intervention as determined by a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist and laryngologist * Unwillingness to attend therapeutic intervention and follow-up sessions * Unwillingness to use a smartphone to record practice * Pregnant women * Prisoners * Cognitive impairment or impaired decision-making capacity
Where it's running
-
Emory Voice Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown
Atlanta, Georgia, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Amanda Gillespie, PhD — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Amanda Gillespie, PhD
- Email: amanda.i.gillespie@emory.edu
- Phone: 404-778-3381
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.