Preliminary Study 1 to Test the Effects of Ambulatory Voice Biofeedback

NCT ID: NCT03416829

Last Updated: 2022-11-14

Study Results

Results available

Outcome measurements, participant flow, baseline characteristics, and adverse events have been published for this study.

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

29 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-09-27

Study Completion Date

2022-06-30

Brief Summary

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This first study will enroll 3 groups of patients with vocal fold nodules that will receive different schedules of ambulatory voice biofeedback (100% frequency feedback, 25% frequency feedback, summary feedback) to avoid their upper 15th percentile of vocal loudness.

Detailed Description

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We will conduct this study (based on principles of motor learning) using novel smartphone-based ambulatory voice biofeedback systems aimed at improving the carryover of newly established vocal behaviors into daily life. This first study will determine which of three types of ambulatory feedback results in better learning/retention (100% frequency, 25% frequency, or delayed summary feedback every 2 minutes of voicing) of a new vocal behavior (reduced vocal intensity) in three groups of 15 patients with vocal fold nodules. Hypothesis: Patients receiving lower frequency or summary feedback will produce lower initial performance but higher short- and long-term retention than patients receiving feedback 100% of the time.

Conditions

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Vocal Fold Nodules

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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100% frequency

Some patients will be assigned (via block randomization) to receive ambulatory voice biofeedback (100% frequency - vibrotactile cueing every time the participant exceeds a vocal intensity threshold). Voice monitoring will be conducted for 3 days (device automatically turns off after 42 minutes of voicing): Day 1: biofeedback will be active all day , Day 2: the day after Day 1, no biofeedback, just monitoring to test short-term retention. Day 3: 7 days post-Day 1, no biofeedback, just monitoring to test longer-term retention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Ambulatory voice biofeedback

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will be provided cues regarding their vocal behavior in daily life. The cues will either be: 100% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every time the patient voices incorrectly... 25% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every 4th time the patient voices incorrectly... Summary feedback = the patient's overall compliance (percentage of voiced time within desired limits) will be presented via a smartwatch every 2 minutes of voicing.

25% frequency

Some patients will be assigned (via block randomization) to receive ambulatory voice biofeedback (25% frequency - vibrotactile cueing every 4th time the participant exceeds a vocal intensity threshold). Voice monitoring will be conducted for 3 days (device automatically turns off after 42 minutes of voicing): Day 1: biofeedback will be active all day , Day 2: the day after Day 1, no biofeedback, just monitoring to test short-term retention. Day 3: 7 days post-Day 1, no biofeedback, just monitoring to test longer-term retention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Ambulatory voice biofeedback

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will be provided cues regarding their vocal behavior in daily life. The cues will either be: 100% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every time the patient voices incorrectly... 25% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every 4th time the patient voices incorrectly... Summary feedback = the patient's overall compliance (percentage of voiced time within desired limits) will be presented via a smartwatch every 2 minutes of voicing.

Summary feedback

Some patients will be assigned (via block randomization) to receive ambulatory voice biofeedback (summary - no cueing, statistics shown every 2 minutes of voicing). Voice monitoring will be conducted for 3 days (device automatically turns off after 42 minutes of voicing): Day 1: biofeedback will be active all day , Day 2: the day after Day 1, no biofeedback, just monitoring to test short-term retention. Day 3: 7 days post-Day 1, no biofeedback, just monitoring to test longer-term retention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Ambulatory voice biofeedback

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will be provided cues regarding their vocal behavior in daily life. The cues will either be: 100% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every time the patient voices incorrectly... 25% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every 4th time the patient voices incorrectly... Summary feedback = the patient's overall compliance (percentage of voiced time within desired limits) will be presented via a smartwatch every 2 minutes of voicing.

Interventions

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Ambulatory voice biofeedback

Subjects will be provided cues regarding their vocal behavior in daily life. The cues will either be: 100% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every time the patient voices incorrectly... 25% feedback = a vibrotactile cue on a smartwatch every 4th time the patient voices incorrectly... Summary feedback = the patient's overall compliance (percentage of voiced time within desired limits) will be presented via a smartwatch every 2 minutes of voicing.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Patients with vocal fold nodules

Exclusion Criteria

Non-English speakers are excluded because prompts on the smartphone app are only available in English
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Robert E Hillman

Research Director at the MGH Voice Center

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Robert E Hillman, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Mass General Hospital, Harvard, MGH IHP

Locations

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Massachusetts General Hospital - Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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1P50DC015446-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2016P002849A

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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