Voice therapy guided by the RTSS-Voice standardized coding system
Official title: Towards a Unified System to Classify Treatments for Muscle Tension Dysphonia
Run by Massachusetts General Hospital · NCT06152627 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether using a standardized coding system (RTSS-Voice) to document voice therapy sessions helps people with muscle tension dysphonia improve their voice.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 14 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 600 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Massachusetts General Hospital Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | radiation |
| Locations | 5 sites (Atlanta, Georgia and 4 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | February 3, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 29, 2027 |
| Study ends | June 29, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | May 26, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06152627 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are English-speaking patients diagnosed with primary muscle tension dysphonia (any subtype) who do not have structural, neurological, or respiratory disorders and who receive care at a participating voice center.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with structural lesions, neurogenic voice disorders, significant respiratory conditions, non-English speakers, or those treated outside the participating centers are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Clinicians across five voice centers will use RTSS-Voice to document standard-of-care voice therapy and outcomes for patients with primary muscle tension dysphonia. The study will compare outcomes for patients treated during a clinician's first year using RTSS-Voice versus their second year using RTSS-Voice. About 300 patients per year (600 total) will have pre- and post-therapy measures collected, including patient-reported vocal function, clinician-rated voice quality, Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP), and number of sessions. Each site will analyze year-to-year changes with linear regression and results will be pooled in a mini meta-analysis to estimate overall effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to clearer, more targeted therapy plans and better voice outcomes for people with muscle tension dysphonia.
How similar studies have gone: RTSS frameworks have been applied in rehabilitation to promote specific, evidence-based treatment targeting, but using RTSS-Voice for clinical voice therapy outcomes is relatively novel with limited prior outcome data.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of primary Muscle Tension Dysphonia (pMTD) * Patients with pMTD will be included regardless of subtype (e.g., functional aphonia, vocal fry, ventricular dysphonia) and they can have secondary diagnoses of reflux. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients diagnosed with pMTD will be excluded if they have secondary diagnoses related to structural, neurological, or respiratory disorders such as laryngitis, obvious vocal fold nodules, polyps, cyst, granuloma, sulci, paradoxical vocal fold motion, chronic cough, confirmed or possible upper airway paralysis/paresis, dysphagia, polypoid corditis, keratosis, presbylarynx, leukoplakia, or history of radiation to the head/neck. Patients with pMTD will be included regardless of subtype (e.g., functional aphonia, vocal fry, ventricular dysphonia) and they can have secondary diagnoses of reflux. * Non-English speakers. The RTSS-Voice's standard and operationalized categories are in English.
Where it's running
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Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia, United States Recruiting -
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting -
New York University
New York, New York, United States Recruiting -
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States Recruiting -
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Jarrad Van Stan, PhD, CCC-SLP
- Email: jvanstan@mgh.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-643-8410
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
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Neck vibration plus voice therapy for muscle tension dysphonia
This trial will test whether adding gentle translaryngeal (neck) vibration to standard voice therapy helps adults with muscle tension dysphonia improve their voice.
-
Investigating Autonomic Dysfunction in Voice Disorders
This study is testing a new therapy that focuses on the nervous system to see if it helps people with voice disorders feel better compared to those without the disorder.
-
Biofeedback and voice therapy for vocal hyperfunction
This study is testing if adding biofeedback to regular voice therapy can help people with vocal hyperfunction improve their voice use in everyday life.
-
Exploring genetic and brain imaging factors in laryngeal dystonia
This study is trying to see how genetics and brain changes are linked in people with laryngeal dystonia to help understand the condition better and find early signs in those at risk.
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.