Assessment of (Chemo)RT-related Dysphagia in HNC Patients Based on Cough-related Acoustic Features

Not Applicable

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer; Dysphagia
• Interventions: Other: Acoustic cough features analysis

• Registration Number: NCT05865756
• Lead Sponsor: Jules Bordet Institute

Brief Summary

To develop this objective and easily implementable assessment method of coughing based on acoustic features of voluntary and reflex coughs, there is a primary need in identifying and comparing acoustic cough features in healthy subjects and different disease-related coughs features. Cough is a common reason for seeking medical care. Chronic cough, defined as a cough that has lasted for longer that eight weeks, represents 10-38% of all referrals made to respiratory physicians \[1-2\]. Furthermore, between 60 and 80% of patients with chronic obstructivepulmonary disease (COPD) report cough. Following this pilot study comparing different populations, the applicability of the selected acoustic cough features should be examined in HNC patients with radiotherapy-induced dysphagia, Another frequent aspect of the clinical diagnostic examination of swallowing is perceptual analysis of voice quality immediately following deglutition. Changes in voice quality are assumed to provide information on the possible accumulation of saliva or food at the vocal folds level. It is reported that a change of voice may indicate laryngeal dysfunction or the presence of a foreign body at the laryngeal level \[3\] confirm that a normophonic voice after swallowing reflects a lack of aspiration-penetration. However, research shows that there is no strong correlation between aspiration and changes in perceptual voice quality (e.g. wet voice). A more reliable and easily implementable method could be detection of specific acoustic features of changes in voice quality.

Detailed Description

The ultimate goal of this study is to develop an innovative and non-invasive assessment method for dysphagia and aspiration in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients using acoustic features related to voluntary and/or reflex cough as biomarkers of dysphagia and/or aspiration in this population.

Additionally, the relationship between acoustic features and aerodynamic cough and acoustic voice parameters will be investigated, extending our insight in pathophysiology of dysphagia in this population.

To the investigators knowledge, no acoustic features of coughing and throat clearing in the frame of dysphagia have ever been explored. Regarding voice quality abnormalities, no acoustic parameters of reasonable evidence of dysphagia have been found.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-04-01
• Study First Submitted: 2023-04-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-05-09
• Study First Posted: 2023-05-19
• Primary Completion: 2023-06-01
• Status Verified: 2024-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-05-08
• Last Update Posted: 2024-05-09
• Study Completion: 2024-09-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Cough and voice analysis in HNC patients	Acoustic cough features analysis	Patients will undergo acoustic cough features analysis.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
acoustic cough features in HNC patients as biomarkers for dysphagia/aspiration.	at least 3 months post-RT	cough and voice analysis (using voice recording and frequencies obtained) of HNC patients post RT will be analysed to detect early diagnosis biomarkers for dysphagia/aspiration

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Institut Jules Bordet; 🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium