Efficacy of Voice Therapy for Phonotrauma in Teachers

University of Pittsburgh2 sites in 1 country105 target enrollmentOctober 2005

ConditionsPhonotrauma

Overview

Phase: Phase 3
Intervention: Not specified
Conditions: Phonotrauma
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
Enrollment: 105
Locations: 2
Primary Endpoint: Score on Voice Handicap Index (VHI)
Status: Completed
Last Updated: 10 years ago

Overview Investigators Eligibility Criteria Outcomes Sites Similar Trials

Overview

Brief Summary

The study compares two different forms of voice therapy, Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy and Casper-Based Confidential Flow Therapy. The target population are teachers because they have the highest risk for developing voice problems. For this study the investigators are primarily interested in seeing if Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT) and Casper-Based Confidential Flow Therapy (CBCFT) are equally effective at improving vocal functioning in teachers with phonotrauma, as assessed by the Voice Handicap Index (VHI).

Registry

clinicaltrials.gov

Start Date

October 2005

End Date

August 2010

Last Updated

10 years ago

Study Type

Interventional

Study Design

Parallel

Sex

All

Investigators

Sponsor

University of Pittsburgh

Responsible Party

Principal Investigator

Kittie Verdolini Abbott

Professor

University of Pittsburgh

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

•Full or part time teacher including college professor, daycare and preschool
•21 years of age and older
•Complaints of voice problems declared to be lasting continuously for one month or more
•Any structural or functional change to the larynx that appears related to phonation,including bilateral or unilateral lesions (assuming normal overlying epithelium based on clinical examination), non-specific edema, or erythema that appear by clinical history related to phonation, or primary muscle tension dysphonia or other condition related to phonation without lesions
•No concurrent ear, nose and/or throat diagnoses, e.g. acute allergies, except for chronic allergies, sinusitis, and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR)
•No vocal fold hemorrhage
•No known degenerative medical conditions (e.g., degenerative neuromuscular disease, malignant process undergoing treatment or with less than 5 years remission, uncontrolled systemic disease (e.g., auto immune disease, or hormonal condition)
•Normal hearing to 30 dB at 1000Hz - 3000Hz in the better ear
•The participant is able to start therapy within 6 weeks of the initial evaluation and can be scheduled for 8 sessions (two per visit) in a 6-week time period
•Agreement by the participant to provide information regarding days missed from work during the previous year and the year following treatment

Exclusion Criteria

•Known degenerative medical condition
•Concurrent ear-nose-throat diagnosis, e.g., acute allergies (but chronic allergies, sinusitis, and laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) are not exclusion criteria) and vocal fold hemorrhage
•Degenerative medical conditions that would exclude a participant from participation include, but are not limited to: degenerative neuromuscular disease, malignant process undergoing treatment or with less than 5 years remission, uncontrolled systemic disease (e.g. auto immune disease), or hormonal condition.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Score on Voice Handicap Index (VHI)

Time Frame: one year

Secondary Outcomes

Do LMRVT or CBCFT improve conversational voice quality?(one year)
Do LMRVT or CBCFT reduce the occurrence of laryngeal microsurgery?(one year)
Does LMRVT contribute to the actual acquisition of "resonant voice" in speech?(one year)
Do LMRVT or CBCFT improve laryngeal appearance?(one year)
Do LMRVT or CBCFT reduce the number of workdays lost annually?(one year)