Voice Therapy With a Semi-occluded Vocal Tract

University Ghent

Status: Completed

Conditions: Voice Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: straw phonation in water; Behavioral: /u/ phonation; Behavioral: Straw phonation in air

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06137131

249721N

Details and patient eligibility

About

1. The first objective of this research is to investigate the immediate effects of three semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises (straw phonation in air, straw phonation in 2cm water, and straw phonation in 5cm water) on (supra)glottic activity of vocally healthy participants and patients with voice disorders (dysphonia) visualized with laryngovideostroboscopy.

   Participants will receive a flexible laryngovideostroboscopy, both during normal phonation and during the specific SOVT exercise. These videos will be randomly and blindly evaluated by two experts using the Voice-Vibratory Assessment with Laryngeal Imaging (VALI) rating form (Poburka et al., 2017).

   Researchers will compare the effects of these SOVT exercises on the (supra)glottic activity with the effects found in a control group producing /u/ phonation, using a randomized controlled trial.

2. The second objective of this research is to investigate the short- and long-term effects of the three SOVT therapy approaches on the (supra)glottic activity, voice quality and self-report of patients with voice disorders (dysphonia).

Participants will receive a short-term intensive therapy with the specific SOVT exercise across four weeks.

Immediately after the therapy program and at 1 and 3 months follow-up, the voice of the participants will be re-evaluated.

Enrollment: 58 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 17 to 50 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Patients:

Inclusion criteria are aged between 17 and 50 years, and diagnosed with dysphonia by an otorhinolaryngologist and SLP experienced in voice diagnostics. Exclusion criteria are previous or current participation in voice therapy, previous phonosurgical interventions, pregnancy, smoking, nasal or ear diseases, and neurological disorders.

Vocally healthy participants:

Inclusion criteria are aged between 17 and 50 years. Exclusion criteria are dagnosed with dysphonia, previous or current participation in voice therapy, previous phonosurgical interventions, pregnancy, smoking, nasal or ear diseases, and neurological disorders.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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58 participants in 4 patient groups

straw phonation in air

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to phonate an /u/ vowel through a stirring straw in air with slightly pursed lips and a soft voice onset.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Straw phonation in air

straw phonation in 2 cm water

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to phonate an /u/ vowel through a stirring straw, placed 2 cm below the water surface, with slightly pursed lips and a soft voice onset.

Treatment:

Behavioral: straw phonation in water

straw phonation in 5 cm water

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to phonate an /u/ vowel through a stirring straw, placed 5 cm below the water surface, with slightly pursed lips and a soft voice onset.

Treatment:

Behavioral: straw phonation in water

/u/ control condition

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will be asked to phonate an /u/ vowel with slightly pursed lips and a soft voice onset but without a straw.

Treatment:

Behavioral: /u/ phonation