Voice disorders place over five million school-aged children at increased risk for inferior school performance, dysfunctional social development, and higher participation in criminal activities. The lesions most commonly associated with pediatric vocal dysfunction are reported to be vocal fold nodules, which are present in up to 21% of the general population, and are associated with behavioral problems and inferior quality of life. Voice therapy with a speech-language pathologist is recommended by 95% of otolaryngologists for management of vocal fold nodules. This most widely used treatment for the most common lesion associated with pediatric voice disorders has not been rigorously tested in prospective controlled trials to determine whether it truly has benefits that outweigh the associated risks. A prospective clinical trial addressing whether voice therapy improve voice-related quality of life for children with apparent vocal fold nodules is a logical step toward developing an evidence-based treatment plan to optimize outcomes for this sizable population of at-risk children. There are currently no well-powered, prospective, controlled studies which compare voice therapy versus control in children who present with apparent nodules. Our goal is to remedy this deficiency through the randomized, placebo controlled study outlined in the following grant proposal.

Public Health Relevance

Voice disorders place over five million school-aged children at increased risk for inferior school performance, dysfunctional social development, and higher participation in criminal activities. The most widely used treatment for the most common lesion associated with pediatric voice disorders has not been rigorously tested in prospective controlled trials to determine whether it truly has benefits that outweigh the associated risks. A prospective clinical trial addressing whether voice therapy improves voice-related quality of life for children with apparent vocal fold nodules is a logical step toward developing an evidence-based treatment plan to optimize outcomes for this sizable population of at-risk children.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
1U01DC010371-01A1
Application #
7986153
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZDC1-SRB-L (50))
Program Officer
Shekim, Lana O
Project Start
2010-07-05
Project End
2015-06-30
Budget Start
2010-07-05
Budget End
2011-06-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$760,065
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Department
Type
DUNS #
073825945
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02114