An interventional study of Straw phontion in Voice Fatigue, Voice Disorders and Voice Hoarseness, sponsored by University of Utah. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-27.
Sponsored by University of Utah · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
To investigate the change in fundamental frequency range and vocal fold stability achievable with vocal fold stretching exercise in human populations with high and low vocal activity
The vocal ligament is part of the layered structure of the vocal fold. It is a thin band of tissue near the superior medial edge of the vocal fold. The cord-like appearance of the ligament gave rise to the traditional term "vocal cord". The ligament connects the arytenoid cartilage (lower broad dark region) to the anterior portion of the thyroid cartilage (upper dark region). The slightly thickened endpoints are known as the anterior and posterior macula flava. In the medial-lateral direction, the vocal ligament comprises the intermediate and deep layer of the lamina propria.
The physiological functions of the vocal ligament are not fully understood. One function is to limit mechanical strain (elongation), a general function of most ligaments in the body. A second function may be to produce a firm closure of the glottis by forming a straight edge along the membranous (vibrating) portion of the vocal fold. A strong ligament that can be tensed with exercise is likely to help straighten the edge of the folds. Vocal fold bowing, for example, is a pathological condition often associated with advanced age, but it can also occur in young adults who press their arytenoid cartilages together excessively in speech. Atrophy of the thyroarytenoid muscle, which lies lateral to the ligament, causes the middle of the membranous vocal fold to be retracted from the midline of the glottis. The result is a weak voice because airflow cannot be suddenly shut off for efficient acoustic excitation of the vocal tract. For self-sustained vocal fold vibration, the superficial layer must be very pliable and deformable for mucosal surface-wave motion. The role of the ligament is then to stabilize the vertical motion when large pressures are applied to vocal fold surfaces. The most important known function of the ligament, however, is to widen the fundamental frequency range. The stiffer the ligament, the greater the likelihood that several octaves of fo range can be achieved.
52 studies on the registry are indexed under Hoarseness; 9 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 120 is above the median of 108 across 44 interventional studies indexed under Hoarseness.
Browse Hoarseness studies →University of Utah is the lead sponsor of 994 studies on the registry; 175 are open to participants now.
Of its 114 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 69 (61%) have results posted.
Compared within Hoarseness, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Voice Disorders. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will undergo one session of voice habilitation via a straw phonation exercise protocol. This protocol has been extensively studied and validated in the largest randomized clinical trial in voice therapy by our team.
Behavioral: Straw phontion
Pitch Glides: (1 minute) Vocalize through the straw starting from as low as possible to as high as possible. As the participant you will want to get as much as your vocal range as possible. But, don't let the voice get growly at the bottom or press it into a painful range at the top. 2\. Accents: (1 minute) Vocalize progressive little hills or accents. It sounds like a revving engine of the car. 3\. Song: (1 minute) Pick a favorite song and vocalize it through the straw. Examples: National Anthem, Happy Birthday, Mary had a Little Lamb. These are great songs because they have a range of pitches and one can build some accents in, as well. 4\. Reading passage: (1 minute) Vocalize a reading passage through the straw. Be as dramatic as possible, using a lot of inflection.
Also known as: Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, flow resistant tube
Voice Range Profile (VRP)
a thorough voice range profile will be created by testing the participants lowest (minimum) and highest (maximum) achievable pitches across a spectrum of vocal intensities (soft, medium and loud).
Time frame: pre-intervention (initial evaluation)
Voice Range Profile (VRP)
a thorough voice range profile will be created by testing the participants lowest (minimum) and highest (maximum) achievable pitches across a spectrum of vocal intensities (soft, medium and loud).
Time frame: 8 weeks post intervention
Voice Range Profile (VRP)
a thorough voice range profile will be created by testing the participants lowest (minimum) and highest (maximum) achievable pitches across a spectrum of vocal intensities (soft, medium and loud).
Time frame: 3 months following intervention
Electroglottography (EGG)
Electroglottograph, or EGG, is a device used for the noninvasive measurement of the degree of contact between the vibrating vocal folds during voice production. Electrodes are applied on the surface of the neck so that the EGG records variations in the transverse electrical impedance of the larynx can be measured.
Time frame: pre-intervention
Electroglottography (EGG)
Electroglottograph, or EGG, is a device used for the noninvasive measurement of the degree of contact between the vibrating vocal folds during voice production. Electrodes are applied on the surface of the neck so that the EGG records variations in the transverse electrical impedance of the larynx can be measured.
Time frame: 8 weeks post intervention
Electroglottography (EGG)
Electroglottograph, or EGG, is a device used for the noninvasive measurement of the degree of contact between the vibrating vocal folds during voice production. Electrodes are applied on the surface of the neck so that the EGG records variations in the transverse electrical impedance of the larynx can be measured.
Time frame: 3 months following treatment.
Acoustic measurement
An audio recording of each participant will be obtained. The participant will sustain the "ah" and "ee" vowel three times for the maximum amount of time they are able. They will then read the CAPE-V (Zraick et al., 2011), rainbow passage (Fairbanks, 1960), and describe the cookie theft picture (Borod et al., Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination 1980). The samples will then be analyzed using Phonanium, an automated acoustic analysis software. Acoustics will include fundamental frequency, fundamental frequency standard deviation, relative sound pressure level (SPL), SPL standard deviation, cepstral peak prominence smooth (CPPS), harmonic to noise ratio, and noise to harmonic ratio, acoustic voice quality index (AVQI), and spectral slope.
Time frame: pre-intervention
Acoustic measurement
An audio recording of each participant will be obtained. The participant will sustain the "ah" and "ee" vowel three times for the maximum amount of time they are able. They will then read the CAPE-V (Zraick et al., 2011), rainbow passage (Fairbanks, 1960), and describe the cookie theft picture (Borod et al., Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination 1980). The samples will then be analyzed using Phonanium, an automated acoustic analysis software. Acoustics will include fundamental frequency, fundamental frequency standard deviation, relative sound pressure level (SPL), SPL standard deviation, cepstral peak prominence smooth (CPPS), harmonic to noise ratio, and noise to harmonic ratio, acoustic voice quality index (AVQI), and spectral slope.
Time frame: 8 weeks post intervention
Acoustic measurement
An audio recording of each participant will be obtained. The participant will sustain the "ah" and "ee" vowel three times for the maximum amount of time they are able. They will then read the CAPE-V (Zraick et al., 2011), rainbow passage (Fairbanks, 1960), and describe the cookie theft picture (Borod et al., Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination 1980). The samples will then be analyzed using Phonanium, an automated acoustic analysis software. Acoustics will include fundamental frequency, fundamental frequency standard deviation, relative sound pressure level (SPL), SPL standard deviation, cepstral peak prominence smooth (CPPS), harmonic to noise ratio, and noise to harmonic ratio, acoustic voice quality index (AVQI), and spectral slope.
Time frame: 3 months following treatment.
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from Nov 2021 to primary completion in Dec 2024, 37 months.
Of 21 interventional studies with no phase under Hoarseness, half reached primary completion within 15 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 24. This study's 37 months is above that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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