Active clinical trials for "Vocal Cord Dysfunction"

Factors related to successful rehabilitation are often directly related to adherence; for instance, dosage, frequency, and intensity can burden the patient regarding time and motivational factors. Furthermore, surrounding salience, patients may lose interest or find an intervention boring after a few sessions. It is well documented that nonadherence not only impacts rehabilitation for the patient but can also further prolong treatment, and increase hospital and clinician costs, in addition to a higher prevalence of future comorbidities. Therefore, strategies that improve patient adherence can significantly help optimize patient care and treatment outcomes. One avenue to increase patient adherence is through the gamification of rehabilitation therapies using virtual reality (VR). Gamification of rehabilitation therapy can make mass practice required in rehabilitation therapies seemingly fun and more personally engaging for the patient. Additionally, the immersive experience achieved through VR can further promote salience and be customizable to individual patient requirements. As VR systems are now highly portable and relatively simple to utilize, they can provide an excellent opportunity to continue rehabilitation practice on the home front. Overall, the VR gamification of rehabilitation may increase adherence by shifting patients' perspectives of therapy as tedious, boring, or a hassle, to a fun and engaging game that ultimately helps their recovery processes. The GlenXRose VR-delivered speech-language therapies (Cognitive Projections Lab, University of Alberta) have been developed and piloted in collaboration with the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital with the overall goal of increasing patient adherence, treatment outcomes, and satisfaction with vocal therapy. The proposed studies are to investigate the feasibility of implementing this technology in routine clinical care (specific to voice disorders), obtaining clinician feedback, examining associated financial costs, and continuing to examine the effect of the GlenXRose VR speech-language therapies on patient adherence and clinical outcomes, compared to traditional clinical care.

Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion (PVFM) is a condition where vocal cords adduct (move toward another) instead of abduct (move away from one another) during inspiration, thus causing shortness of breath. The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to compare the efficacy of biofeedback as compared to laryngeal control therapy (LCT) in the treatment of PVFM. Participants will take surveys about their symptoms and their expectations of treatment prior to initiating treatment and after completion of their assigned treatment. Researchers will compare the biofeedback group to the LCT group to see if participants have differences in changes of their symptoms.

This study is a feasibility study to see if an ultrasound scan of the vocal cords can detect narrowing of the vocal cords as seen in a condition called inducible laryngeal Obstruction (the vocal cords narrow or close on breathing in, which makes it very difficult to breathe).

This study will determine if airway resistance to airflow and pressure, measured by Impulse Oscillometry, is impacted in subjects with vocal cord disorders and whether these measurements are different when compared to subjects with asthma.

The first part will be a comparative cross-sectional study to identify the frequency of ILO and other comorbidites among participants with asthma compared to a group of reference subjects without asthma, matched for age- and gender and race. The second part will be a longitudinally observational study study following participants for one year after the cross-sectional study. The Maat-scores ILO-symptoms and asthma-outcomes longitudinally will be evaluated, .

This study is carried out to explore the short-term and long-term efficacy of the functional collagen scaffold in guiding laryngeal soft tissue regeneration.

Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion Disorder (PVFMD), otherwise known as vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a laryngeal breathing disorder that has several potential causes. In some individuals, exertion is the predominant trigger. PVFMD can present like an asthma attack, but asthma medication is ineffective in treating it. The effects of untreated PVFMD can be devastating, leading to harmful, invasive, and ineffective treatments over a period of years. Numerous anecdotal reports indicate that several behavioral techniques, may be surprisingly effective and even curative. However, data are lacking. The form of respiratory retraining technique tested in the current study educates people with PVFMD about breathing and teaches them a number of breathing exercises specially designed to restore normal breathing patterns. This case series study will use a dyspnea perception questionnaire, patient daily logs, and physiological measurements of heart rate and breathing to examine whether this form of therapy can improve exertion-induced PVFMD symptoms.

The accepted recommendation after removal of vocal cord lesion is voice rest.This recommendation leads to great tension among the patients, loss of working days and need to practice speech therapy.The investigators hypothesize that voice rest after surgery does not affect the quality of the patient's voice. The investigators will divide the patients into 2 groups: the first group will be instructed for a postoperative voice rest and the second group will not. Later the investigators will compare the results and conclude whether voice rest had any significance.

Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD) is characterized by involuntary closure of the vocal cords while inhaling. Children and adolescents with VCD may experience multiple symptoms, including difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, neck tightness, and voice changes. There is limited information on optimal management of VCD. In our proposed study, we will use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to change how patients respond to their VCD symptoms. Measurements of airflow during breathing as well as symptom frequency and intensity will be examined prior to and following a series of four therapy sessions with a clinical psychologist that are focused on teaching patients strategies to decrease symptom reactivity.

Exercise-induced paradoxical vocal fold motion disorder (E-PVFMD) - which severely impacts the lives of up to 1 million adolescents in the U.S. annually - is under- or mis-diagnosed in as many as 80% of cases, leading to ineffective, protracted periods of management. Additionally, what makes those with the condition different from those at risk for the condition (e.g., playing sports/engaging in athletic activity within a competitive athletic environment) is unclear. The goals of this proposed study are to address this diagnostic challenge by (1) pursuing a previously published preliminary taxonomic algorithm for the clinical identification and classification of EPVFMD, and by (2) elucidating potential underlying mechanisms driving this clinical presentation. Study outcomes will improve sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis protocols for PVFMD, thereby reducing prevalence of misdiagnosis and improving clinical management in individuals with this disorder in the future. Outcomes will also be used to create preventative care measures for adolescents at risk for the condition.