Upper airway stenosis is a condition that significantly impairs breathing and voice. Stenosis-related voice disorders can adversely impact communication, job performance, psychosocial function, and quality of life. Clinical and scientific studies have elucidated important relationships between voice function and stenosis severity and management, but many aspects of these relationships are not fully understood. The objectives of the proposed research are to develop larynx-specific MRI coils and protocols for upper airway stenosis imaging and to determine the impact of glottic and subglottic morphology on voice function in upper airway stenosis patients. Custom imaging coils and protocols will be developed and refined based on physical principles and preliminary tests. MR images in stenosis patients will be acquired pre- and post-operatively. Images will be used to create 3D geometric models for morphometric analysis and posting on an online laryngeal data repository for further research. Retrospective and prospective pre- and post-operative aerodynamic and acoustic studies of patients with upper airway stenosis will be conducted to explore relationships between preoperative voice complaints and pre/post-operative voice changes. Excised larynx and synthetic vocal fold laboratory experiments using 3D-printed airways with adjustable stenoses, in conjunction with complementary computational simulations of phonatory flow-structure-acoustic interactions, will be used to explore fundamental physical relationships between stenosis geometry and changes in flow patterns, vocal fold vibration, and acoustics. Anticipated outcomes include larynx imaging coil prototypes and protocols suitable for the needs of clinical laryngeal imaging evaluations and scientific research, detailed geometric three-dimensional models of the upper airway in healthy and stenosis populations, and deeper insight into the sources of dysphonia in stenosis patients and into the aerodynamic and acoustical changes associated with upper airway stenosis. The ultimate aim is to develop tools and understanding that will lead to improved voice outcomes for patients with upper airway stenosis.

Public Health Relevance

Upper airway stenosis is a condition that significantly impairs voice function and thus may adversely impact communication, job performance, psychosocial function, and quality of life. The purposes of the proposed research are to facilitate improved medical imaging capabilities for upper airway stenosis patients and to increase our understanding about the influence of upper airway stenosis on voice function. The ultimate aim is to improve voice outcomes for patients with upper airway stenosis.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC009616-07
Application #
9709270
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Shekim, Lana O
Project Start
2009-07-01
Project End
2023-08-31
Budget Start
2019-09-01
Budget End
2020-08-31
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Brigham Young University
Department
Engineering (All Types)
Type
Biomed Engr/Col Engr/Engr Sta
DUNS #
009094012
City
Provo
State
UT
Country
United States
Zip Code
84602
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Pan, Zhao; Whitehead, Jared; Thomson, Scott et al. (2016) Error Propagation Dynamics of PIV-based Pressure Field Calculations: How well does the pressure Poisson solver perform inherently? Meas Sci Technol 27:084012
Stevens, Kimberly A; Thomson, Scott L; Jetté, Marie E et al. (2016) Quantification of Porcine Vocal Fold Geometry. J Voice 30:416-26
Verkerke, G J; Thomson, S L (2014) Sound-producing voice prostheses: 150 years of research. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 16:215-45
Weiß, S; Thomson, S L; Lerch, R et al. (2013) Pipette aspiration applied to the characterization of nonhomogeneous, transversely isotropic materials used for vocal fold modeling. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 17:137-51
Truscott, Tadd T; Belden, Jesse; Nielson, Joseph R et al. (2013) Determining 3D flow fields via multi-camera light field imaging. J Vis Exp :e4325
Smith, Simeon L; Thomson, Scott L (2013) Influence of subglottic stenosis on the flow-induced vibration of a computational vocal fold model. J Fluids Struct 38:77-91
Shurtz, Timothy E; Thomson, Scott L (2013) Influence of numerical model decisions on the flow-induced vibration of a computational vocal fold model. Comput Struct 122:44-54
Daily, David Jesse; Thomson, Scott L (2013) Acoustically-coupled flow-induced vibration of a computational vocal fold model. Comput Struct 116:50-58
Murray, Preston R; Thomson, Scott L (2012) Vibratory responses of synthetic, self-oscillating vocal fold models. J Acoust Soc Am 132:3428-38

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