Clinical Research Directory

Usefulness and Feasibility of Ultrasound in Office Laryngology Procedures

Investigators will assess the usefulness of using ultrasound in office procedures for laryngology interventions. Participants who qualify will be adults who are undergoing superior laryngeal nerve block, injection laryngoplasty, swallowing evaluation, voice evaluation and voice therapy.

PhoRTE® Therapy Efficacy: In-Person Versus Telehealth

This study compares how well voice therapy works when delivered in-person versus through telehealth for older adults with age-related voice problems. Researchers are testing whether Phonation Resistance Training Exercises (PhoRTE®) can be just as effective when delivered remotely as when done face-to-face, which could make treatment more accessible and affordable for seniors. The two primary hypotheses are: 1. Does voice therapy (called PhoRTE®) work as well through video calls as it does face-to-face? 2. Can online therapy be a more accessible way for older adults to get help for their voice problems? Adults aged 55 or older with voice changes and an applicable diagnosis will be randomly assigned to receive either in-person or telehealth therapy, consisting of four 45-minute sessions. After treatment, researchers will measure improvements through: * Changes in voice function * Patient reports about their voice * Scientific measurements of voice quality * Patient satisfaction with treatment * Impact on quality of life The results will help determine if telehealth can be a good alternative to in-person voice therapy, especially important as telehealth coverage may be changing.

A Personalized Voice Restoration Device for Patients With Laryngectomy

The investigators will conduct a pilot experiment for a novel and personalized method for voice restoration using machine learning applied to surface EMG (sEMG) signal from articulatory muscles of the face and the neck allowing recognition of silent speech. The investigators predict that the use novel personalized method for voice restoration will be feasible and successful for patients.

Clinical Validation of DystoniaNet Deep Learning Platform for Diagnosis of Isolated Dystonia

This research involves retrospective and prospective studies for clinical validation of a DystoniaNet deep learning platform for the diagnosis of isolated dystonia.

Deconstructing Voice Therapy: Towards Enhanced Communication Outcomes

This research study aims to evaluate the effect of treatment delivery method on voice outcomes over 12 months in people with a primary complaint of a voice problem, diagnosed with either non-phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction, also known as primary muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) or phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction, also known as benign vocal fold lesions (lesions). The secondary objectives are: * To evaluate acoustic correlates of clear speech and the relationship to vocal acoustic and patient-reported voice outcomes. * To determine the association between overall dysphonia outcomes and adoption of clear speech.

Translaryngeal Vibration for Hyperfunctional Voice Disorders

Contemporary treatments for hyperfunctional voice disorders such as muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) are effective but typically do not restore voice handicap or voice function to normal thresholds. Recent reports of vibration as a voice therapy modality have been published, but many questions remain about the efficacy of this tool. The current project addresses these problems through a blinded and randomized controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of local translaryngeal vibration for MTD and the dose-response relationship of this modality when compared to treatment without vibration.

The Mechanism Versus PPI Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a mechanism guided strategy that utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to treat adults patients (age 18-89) with chronic throat symptoms who are undergoing clinical evaluation for laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is more effective than the usual care strategy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy used in gastroenterology for these patients. The main question it aims to answer is: Will a greater proportion of the mechanism guided strategy participants achieve symptom response in comparison to the usual care strategy participants? If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare the mechanism guided strategy to usual care strategy to see if treatment response differs between the groups. Participants will be be asked to do the following: * participate in an 8-week blinded study phase where they will be randomized to either 1) Mechanism Guided Strategy or 2) Usual Care Strategy * take an oral capsule daily (omeprazole 40mg or placebo) * come to 3 in-person visits at UC San Diego Health for an intervention visit with a study provider * consider incorporating recommended lifestyle modifications * complete weekly surveys

Characterization of "Bamboo" and Other Vocal Cord Lesions Responsible for Dysphonia in Patients With Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (BAMBOO)

The goal of this multicenter retrospective observational study is to provide an inventory of the specific and non specific cord vocal lesions that can cause dysphonia in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. The main question it aims to answer is: * What are the main cord vocal lesions responsible for dysphonia in patients with a systemic autoimmune disease? * Is there a diagnosis delay regarding those lesions? * How are those lesions managed? Participants suffering from dysphonia in a context of a systemic autoimmune disease will be identified, with a review of their medical record.