Autonomic Dysfunction in Functional Dysphonia

Launched by UNIVERSITY GHENT · Oct 20, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a condition called functional dysphonia, which is a voice disorder that occurs without any physical cause. The researchers want to understand how often symptoms related to autonomic dysfunction (issues with the automatic functions of the body, like heart rate and breathing) happen in people with functional dysphonia compared to healthy individuals. They are also testing a new therapy that helps regulate the autonomic nervous system, called ANS therapy, to see if it works better than standard voice therapy or a combination of both treatments.

To participate in the study, you should be between 18 and 60 years old and diagnosed with functional dysphonia by a specialist. The study will not include anyone currently receiving voice therapy, those with other voice disorders, or individuals with certain health conditions. Participants can expect to be part of a structured program where they will receive either the new therapy, standard therapy, or both, and their progress will be monitored over time. This research aims to improve treatment options for people struggling with voice disorders.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • Patients with functional dysphonia will be recruited from a treatment-seeking population consulting at the voice clinic of Ghent University Hospital. Inclusion criteria are all genders, all ethnicities, aged 18 - 60 years (to exclude voice-related changes due to puberty/mutation or aging/presbyphonia), diagnosed with FD by an experienced otorhinolaryngologist and SLP (defined by a voice disorder in the absence of organic or structural mucosal disease and/or neuropathology sufficient to explain the voice disturbance (Roy et al., 2003), as determined with strobovideolaryngoscopy and a multidimensional voice assessment). Exclusion criteria include: being diagnosed with an organic voice disorder, current participation in voice therapy, practice of breathing exercises including mediation and yoga, current participation in psychotherapy or physical rehabilitation, pharmacological treatment (i.e. antidepressants, antipsychotics, heart medication, antihypertensives, inhalers), previous phonosurgical interventions, lung diseases, endocrinologic diseases, metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurologic diseases, nasal or ear diseases, pregnancy, asthma, smoking or drug consumption.
• • For the vocally healthy controls, inclusion criteria are all genders, all ethnicities, aged 18 - 60 years, and matched with the FD groups by age and gender. The same exclusion criteria as above apply, with the addition of: 'diagnosed with FD'.