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Voice DisordersNCT05220982

Improving Efficacy of Voice Therapy Concepts Via Telepractice and Mobile App Technology

A study testing Conversation Training Therapy, Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model and Modified Conversation Training Therapy in people with Voice Disorders, run by West Chester University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telepractice has grown rapidly. To date, synchronous telepractice (i.e., in real-time videoconferencing) has been the focus of most research with asynchronous telepractice (i.e. information stored and accessed later) being used minimally only to record synchronous encounters. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Voice Disorders
What is being tested?
Conversation Training Therapy, Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model and Modified Conversation Training Therapy
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
32 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
31 Aug 2022to 31 Aug 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Vocally healthy student in a bachelor of education program with student teaching planned for spring
  • Professional teacher who is currently working as a teacher with voice complaints, but has not sought help for the complaints
  • Owner of either an android or iOS smartphone or tablet.

Who cannot join

  • Not a student teacher
  • Not a professional teacher.
  • Does not own a smartphone.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Elizabeth U Grillo, Ph.D. contact

6104362132

egrillo@wcupa.edu

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Elizabeth Grillo

    West Chester, Pennsylvania, 19383

    Elizabeth U Grillo, Ph.D., 610-436-2132, egrillo@wcupa.edu

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telepractice has grown rapidly. To date, synchronous telepractice (i.e., in real-time videoconferencing) has been the focus of most research with asynchronous telepractice (i.e. information stored and accessed later) being used minimally only to record synchronous encounters. Descriptions of voice therapy concepts are minimally available in the literature with no standard reporting framework and no clinical efficacy or effectiveness data. Thus, the proposed study will address these barriers. First, an asynchronous method will be developed that will impact both in-person and telepractice services by offering repeated learning opportunities in the client's environment. The method includes ecological momentary intervention (EMI) through a daily voice therapy practice app, server, and web portal that is flexible in its programming to meet the needs of the client, offers performance feedback, and charts results over time. Second, voice therapy concepts will be tested improving our knowledge about such concepts that facilitate successful client-centered outcomes for both prevention and treatment of voice problems. The participants in the study will be teachers who have a high prevalence of voice problems, impact the healthcare system when treatment is needed, and negatively affect students' learning abilities in the classroom when communicating with a voice problem. Third, the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System (RTSS) framework will be used to describe the voice therapy concepts. The concepts include: training multiple voices to meet all the clients' vocal needs, defining voice qualities by the anatomy and physiology of the voice production system, generalizing voice targets into hierarchical speech tasks, and using "new" vs "other/old" voice to help the client become their own clinician. Vocally healthy student teachers and professional teachers with voice complaints will be randomized into one of four voice therapy conditions delivered via telepractice. Both groups of teachers are needed to assess the concepts for prevention and treatment. Condition 2, which fully represents the proposed voice therapy concepts, will be superior to the other three conditions, which do not fully represent the concepts, by demonstrating a greater decrease in client-reported primary outcome measures of the Voice Handicap Index-10 and factor 1 and 2 of the Vocal Fatigue Index. Secondary outcomes of acoustic measures, Borg Category Ratio-10 scales for vocal and mental effort, and voice therapy satisfaction surveys will also be investigated. The results will be useful at a practical level by advancing asynchronous telepractice and by improving efficacy of voice therapy concepts. In addition, the results will lay the groundwork for future studies involving development of EMI platforms in other areas of speech-language pathology and testing additional voice therapy concepts that facilitate successful client-centered outcomes.

Conditions
Voice Disorders
Being tested
Conversation Training Therapy, Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model, Modified Conversation Training Therapy, Modified Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model
Medical subject headings
Voice Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Conversation Training TherapyBehavioural

    Training clear speech in conversation with new vs old voice. Training will occur over four weekly synchronous telepractice sessions. Each session lasts 45-60 minutes. The ecological momentary intervention (EMI) platform (app, server, web portal) will reflect the goals of the intervention. Participants will use the EMI platform to practice voice targets three times a day.

  • Global Voice Prevention and Therapy ModelBehavioural

    Training of four new voices (i.e., resonant voice in connected speech, falsetto for quiet talking, oral twang for talking over noise, and belt for healthy yelling) defined and trained by the anatomy and physiology of the system (i.e., Estill Voice Training's Figures). Training occurs in a bottom-up speech hierarchy with new vs other or old voice at each step. Additional methods are used in asynchronous telepractice to support the new voices during week 1 (e.g., vocal hygiene and education). Training will occur over three weekly synchronous telepractice sessions. Each session lasts 45-60 minutes. The ecological momentary intervention (EMI) platform (app, server, web portal) will reflect the goals of the intervention. Participants will use the EMI platform to practice voice targets three times a day.

  • Modified Conversation Training TherapyBehavioural

    Training clear speech in conversation with no use of new vs old voice. Training will occur over four weekly synchronous telepractice sessions. Each session lasts 45-60 minutes. The ecological momentary intervention (EMI) platform (app, server, web portal) will reflect the goals of the intervention. Participants will use the EMI platform to practice voice targets three times a day.

  • Modified Global Voice Prevention and Therapy ModelBehavioural

    Training of a new resonant voice in connected speech defined and trained by the anatomy and physiology of the system (i.e., Estill Voice Training's Figures). Training occurs in a bottom-up speech hierarchy with no use of new vs old voice. Additional methods are used in asynchronous telepractice to support the new voices during week 1 (e.g., vocal hygiene and education). Training will occur over three weekly synchronous telepractice sessions. Each session lasts 45-60 minutes. The ecological momentary intervention (EMI) platform (app, server, web portal) will reflect the goals of the intervention. Participants will use the EMI platform to practice voice targets three times a day.

Study groups in NCT05220982
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Conversation Training TherapyExperimentalNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Conversation Training Therapy
Global Voice Prevention and Therapy ModelExperimentalNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model
Modified Conversation Training TherapyExperimentalNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Modified Conversation Training Therapy
Modified Global Voice Prevention and Therapy ModelExperimentalNot described
Receives: Behavioral: Modified Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Voice Handicap Index 10

    The VHI-10 is a client reported outcome measure related to voice impact on quality of life across 10 questions. Each question is rated on a scale from 0-4 with 0 as never, 1 as almost never, 2 as sometimes, 3 as almost always, and 4 as always.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and once weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured on day 4 in the PM for a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  2. Change in Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) factor 1 and 2

    The VFI is a client reported outcome measure related to tiredness and avoidance of voice in factor 1 and physical voice discomfort in factor 2. Factor 1 has 11 questions and factor 2 has 5 questions. Each question is rated on a scale from 0-4 with 0 as never, 1 as almost never, 2 as sometimes, 3 as almost always, and 4 as always.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and once weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured on day 5 in the PM for a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

Secondary outcomes (10)
  1. Change in Fundamental Frequency

    Fundamental frequency will be measured during 3 trials of 5-sec sustained /a/s, the phrase, "we were away a year ago," and a 15-sec connected speech sample.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured twice a day in AM and PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  2. Change in Jitter%

    Jitter% will be measured during 3 trials of 5-sec sustained /a/s, the phrase, "we were away a year ago," and a 15-sec connected speech sample.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured twice a day in AM and PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  3. Change in noise-to-harmonic ratio

    Noise-to-harmonic ratio will be measured during 3 trials of 5-sec sustained /a/s, the phrase, "we were away a year ago," and a 15-sec connected speech sample.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured twice a day in AM and PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  4. Change in cepstral peak prominence

    Cepstral peak prominence will be measured during 3 trials of 5-sec sustained /a/s, the phrase, "we were away a year ago," and a 15-sec connected speech sample.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured twice a day in AM and PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  5. Change in smoothed cepstral peak prominence

    Smoothed cepstral peak prominence will be measured during 3 trials of 5-sec sustained /a/s, the phrase, "we were away a year ago," and a 15-sec connected speech sample.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured twice a day in AM and PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  6. Change in acoustic voice quality index

    Acoustic voice quality index will be measured during 1 trial of the 5-sec sustained /a/ and the phrase, "we were away a year ago,"

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured twice a day in AM and PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  7. Change in Borg Category Ratio (CR)10 scale for vocal effort

    The Borg CR10 scale rates vocal effort on a scale from 0-10 with 0 as no effort and 10 as maximum effort.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured once a day in PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  8. Change in Borg Category Ratio (CR)10 scale for mental effort

    The Borg CR10 scale rates mental effort on a scale from 0-10 with 0 as no effort and 10 as maximum effort.

    Measured: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured once a day in PM sessions during a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.

  9. Student researcher (SR) voice therapy satisfaction surveys

    The voice therapy satisfaction survey will rate the student researchers' (SR) perceptions after completing the voice therapy conditions. The questions are rated on a scale from 1-5 with 1 as strongly disagree and 5 as strongly agree.

    There are also some open ended responses. The SR survey has 17 questions.

    Measured: Collected immediately after intervention in the fall via Qualtrics online software.

  10. Participant voice therapy satisfaction surveys

    The voice therapy satisfaction surveys will rate the participants' perceptions after completing the voice therapy conditions. The questions are rated on a scale from 1-5 with1 as strongly disagree and 5 as strongly agree.

    There are also some open ended responses. The participant survey has 12 questions.

    Measured: Collected immediately after intervention in the fall via Qualtrics online software.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Feb 2022
  2. Study start31 Aug 2022
  3. Primary completion31 Aug 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Aug 2025 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
32 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05220982
Sponsor's protocol ID
R15DC019954
Status last verified
Aug 2024
First submitted
6 Jan 2022
Last updated
28 Aug 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Conversation Training Therapy, Global Voice Prevention and Therapy Model and Modified Conversation Training Therapy in people with Voice Disorders, run by West Chester University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Aug 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Elizabeth U Grillo, Ph.D. (6104362132, egrillo@wcupa.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Voice Handicap Index 10 (time frame: One time at pre & one time at post condition in fall (4 weeks between pre and post) and once weekly for 15 weeks in spring. Captured on day 4 in the PM for a 5 day period via the VoiceEvalU8 app.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Aug 2024.

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