Using larynx and vocal tract techniques to lower vocal fold contact pressure
Laryngeal and Vocal Tract Strategies to Reduce Vocal Fold Contact Pressure
This program will try resonant voice therapy to see if it lowers vocal fold contact pressure in adults with phonotraumatic mid-membranous vocal fold lesions.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 40 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of California, Los Angeles Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, California) |
| Trial ID | NCT06165536 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers will have adults (ages 18–40) with clinician-diagnosed phonotraumatic mid-membranous vocal fold lesions receive a standardized resonant voice therapy program. They will measure vocal fold contact pressure directly in vivo and use CT scans to compare laryngeal and vocal tract configurations before and after initial voice training. The team will relate immediate physical changes to perceptual, acoustic, and subglottic pressure measures and track patient-reported outcomes across longer-term therapy. Findings will test whether the physical adjustments predicted by prior simulations occur in people and whether early pressure reductions predict better therapy results.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults 18–40 with bilateral mid-membranous lesions judged phonotraumatic by a fellowship-trained laryngologist who have been referred for resonant voice therapy and can complete CT scans and in-vivo phonation measurements.
Not a fit: Patients with vocal fold lesions unlikely to respond to voice therapy (e.g., cysts), significant medical comorbidities beyond seasonal allergy or reflux, claustrophobia, or who cannot reproduce required pitches/intensities are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians target voice therapy more precisely to reduce injurious contact pressure and improve long-term voice outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: This approach is novel for in vivo human measurement—prior simulation and laboratory modeling suggested favorable adjustments, but direct confirmation in people has not been done.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 18-40 years (to minimize developmental changes associated with adolescent and elderly age) * Clinic diagnosis by a fellowship trained laryngologist of mid-membranous lesions that by history and appearance are phonotraumatic * Must be referred for voice therapy Exclusion Criteria: * Medical comorbidities (e.g., autoimmune disorders) beyond seasonal allergy and laryngopharyngeal reflux * Vocal fold lesions generally regarded to be less responsive to voice therapy (e.g. vocal fold cysts). * Claustrophobia * Inability to replicate fundamental frequencies required for the study at the intensity levels determined
Where this trial is running
Los Angeles, California
- UCLA Rehab Center — Los Angeles, California, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Zhaoyan Zhang — University of California, Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Zhaoyan Zhang
- Email: zyzhang@ucla.edu
- Phone: 3102064324
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.