Preventing Dyspnea During Speech in Older Speakers

University of Delaware

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dyspnea

Treatments: Behavioral: Socialization phase; Behavioral: Speech breathing intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05029986

1767412

Details and patient eligibility

About

Due to various comorbidities affecting the respiratory system, older speakers are at risk of experiencing breathing discomfort (dyspnea) during high-demand vocal activities such as singing, loud speaking, and speaking while exercising. Dyspnea during speech can promote avoidance of certain situations involving voice production, thus leading to vocal deconditioning and decreased quality of life. The goal of this pilot study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a 4-week remote group intervention targeting phonatory dyspnea, and to gather preliminary efficacy data.

Participants will receive an intervention including a 2-week socialization phase (control condition) and a 4-week speech breathing intervention phase (experimental condition). Both phases will be delivered remotely and in a group setting (10 participants per group).

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• sign the informed consent form
• report dyspnea in at least one of the items of the University of Cincinnati Dyspnea Questionnaire referring to speech
• be available during the dates of the scheduled group interventions
• be aged 50 years or older

Exclusion criteria

• do not have access to a computer and internet connection
• present with a known voice pathology (other than age-related vocal fold atrophy) and/or are receiving speech therapy at the time of the study
• have a known neurodegenerative disease affecting speech/voice
• are a current smoker
• are receiving pulmonary rehabilitation at the time of the study or are starting a new medication regimen for a respiratory disease at the time of study onset;
• have a hearing loss that is not adequately managed, as judged by the Principal Investigator (PI)
• have professional vocal training [amateur choir singers will not be excluded]
• cannot provide informed consent or easily follow instructions
• have any other condition that precludes them from participating in the behavioral interventions, as judged by the PI.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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20 participants in 1 patient group

All participants

Experimental group

Description:

This is a single-arm trial. All participants will receive (1) a control condition (socialization phase, 2 weeks) and (2) an intervention condition (speech breathing intervention, 4 weeks). Group sessions will take place once a week, and participants will be instructed to practice their exercises every day at home during the study duration.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Socialization phase

Behavioral: Speech breathing intervention