Preliminary Study 2 to Test the Effects of Ambulatory Voice Biofeedback
Purpose
Note that this is the second half of a study under the same IRB and NIH grant. This second study will enroll patients with nodules and those with muscle tension dysphonia. These two groups will receive ambulatory voice biofeedback throughout 6 weeks of voice therapy. The targeted objective voice measure during biofeedback will be individually tailored with the goal of increased percentage compliance.
Conditions
- Vocal Fold Nodules
- Muscle Tension Dysphonia
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 65 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- Patients with vocal fold nodules or muscle tension dysphonia undergoing voice therapy
Exclusion Criteria
- If a patient's baseline ambulatory monitoring data is not at least 1 standard deviation away from a normative database in any measure, he/she will be excluded. Non-English speakers are excluded because prompts on the smartphone app are only available in English.
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
Arm Groups
Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
---|---|---|
Experimental Week 3 start |
For the first two weeks of voice therapy, patients will receive ambulatory voice monitoring (no biofeedback) during their voice therapy sessions and throughout the week. In the following 3 weeks of voice therapy (weeks 3 through 5), patients in this arm will be provided ambulatory voice biofeedback. Week 6 involves monitoring without feedback in all subjects to evaluate "washout" and any effect of feedback dose. Monitoring per week: 20 minutes of phonation time after the therapy session (Day 1), 40 minutes of phonation time for each of the next consecutive two days (Days 2 and 3), and 40 minutes of phonation time for the day before the patient's subsequent voice therapy session (Day 4). During biofeedback weeks, feedback will be enabled only on Days 1 and 2. |
|
Experimental Week 4 start |
For the first three weeks of voice therapy, patients will receive ambulatory voice monitoring (no biofeedback) during their voice therapy sessions and throughout the week. In voice therapy weeks 4 and 5, patients in this arm will be provided ambulatory voice biofeedback. Week 6 involves monitoring without feedback in all subjects to evaluate "washout" and any effect of feedback dose. Monitoring per week: 20 minutes of phonation time after the therapy session (Day 1), 40 minutes of phonation time for each of the next consecutive two days (Days 2 and 3), and 40 minutes of phonation time for the day before the patient's subsequent voice therapy session (Day 4). During biofeedback weeks, feedback will be enabled only on Days 1 and 2. |
|
Experimental Week 5 start |
For the first four weeks of voice therapy, patients will receive ambulatory voice monitoring (no biofeedback) during their voice therapy sessions and throughout the week. In voice therapy week 5, patients in this arm will be provided ambulatory voice biofeedback. Week 6 involves monitoring without feedback in all subjects to evaluate "washout" and any effect of feedback dose. Monitoring per week: 20 minutes of phonation time after the therapy session (Day 1), 40 minutes of phonation time for each of the next consecutive two days (Days 2 and 3), and 40 minutes of phonation time for the day before the patient's subsequent voice therapy session (Day 4). During biofeedback weeks, feedback will be enabled only on Days 1 and 2. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
Detailed Description
This second study will use a single subject design to determine if adding ambulatory voice biofeedback to conventional voice therapy can result in faster carryover (compliance) of new vocal behaviors established during voice therapy to daily life. Here, ambulatory voice biofeedback will be based on glottal aerodynamic measures that have subject-specific sensitivity to vocal hyperfunction. Hypothesis: The first ambulatory voice biofeedback week will result in higher compliance percentages when compared to baseline and the week prior to the initiation of biofeedback (when there was voice therapy alone). Days/weeks post-AVB will be significantly different than baseline (successful carryover).