The 'Lombard Effect' in Patients Affected by Adductor Laryngeal Dystonia

Launched by FONDAZIONE POLICLINICO UNIVERSITARIO AGOSTINO GEMELLI IRCCS · May 2, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a condition called adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD), which causes people to have interruptions in their voice, making it hard to speak clearly. This condition mainly affects women in their mid-40s and can be linked to problems in how the brain controls speech. Researchers want to understand how patients’ voices change when they try to speak in noisy environments, using a test called the Quick-Lombard Test. They believe that looking at how patients respond to sound could lead to better treatments in the future.

To participate in this study, you need to be a native Italian speaker aged between 18 and 65 with normal hearing. Unfortunately, people currently receiving treatment for dystonia, those who have had throat surgery, or anyone undergoing speech therapy or specific medications won't be eligible. If you join the trial, you can expect to take part in assessments that measure how your voice performs under different conditions. This research could help improve understanding and treatment options for individuals with AdSD.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Native Italian-speaking patients;
• • Normal hearing, hearing threshold \< 20 dB HL for frequencies from 0.5 to 4 KHz;
• • Age \>18 years and \<65 years;
• • Written informed consent.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Non-Italian-speaking patients.
• • Patients undergoing treatment for dystonia.
• • Previous laryngeal surgery.
• • Patient undergoing speech therapy.
• • Patient undergoing dopaminergic therapy.
• • Inability to sustain phonation of sufficient duration \>3 seconds or to perform sufficient tests to assess vocal outcomes.
• • Lack of written informed consent.