Randomized Controlled Trial of Voice on Children With Vocal Nodules (NCT01255735) | Clinical Trial Compass
CompletedNot Applicable
Randomized Controlled Trial of Voice on Children With Vocal Nodules
United States, Canada114 participantsStarted 2011-01
Plain-language summary
The primary objective of this study is to determine the impact of voice therapy on voice-related quality of life in children age 6-10 years old with apparent vocal fold nodules, as measured by the validated Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life Instrument (PVRQOL)administered 4 weeks after completion of voice therapy.
Who can participate
Age range
6 Years – 10 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Exclusion criteria
. Children 6 to10 years of age will be enrolled. The rationale for this age range was previously noted. In brief, children in this age range (a) have similar educational and social exposures; (b) will likely not yet encounter pubertal changes affecting the larynx; and (c) are relatively cognitively homogeneous. Moreover, children in this age range have the ability to cooperate with voice therapy and have also been shown to be tolerant of stroboscopic examination. Finally, the voice therapy regimen in this protocol has been shown to be clinically effective for many children in this age range.
. Voice-related quality of life must be affected to the extent that baseline PVRQOL scores are \<87.5 (on a scale of the worst, 0, to the best, 100) at the time of entry into the trial. Based on previously published data, this subset of scores will be clearly distinct from scores in children with normal voices. In addition, scores \<87.5 represent worse than average scores among children diagnosed with vocal fold nodules.
. Dysphonia duration prior to randomization must be at least 12 weeks, in order to ensure that vocal dysfunction is chronic in nature.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life Instrument (PVRQOL)
Timeframe: Administered at Screening, Baseline, Therapy Completion, and Follow-Up
. Agreement by informed consent from the parents and informed assent from the child participant with anticipated commitment to compliance throughout the follow up period of 3 months is necessary for enrollment which includes time commitment of up to 3 hours per week to therapy sessions and homework.
. Vocal fold nodules are a pathology that predominantly affects males. A number of studies and the databases utilized to track this pathology at the clinical sites indicate that the male: female ratio is approximately 7:3. Given this background, the enrollment plan for the current investigation will seek to have a 30% female representation of the patients enrolled in this study to ensure appropriate gender representation. Additionally, patients with a diagnosis of pediatric vocal fold nodules predominantly are found in Caucasian populations. However, in accordance with the National Institute of Health Revitalization Act of 1993 the inclusion of minorities in this proposal will be targeted to the representation of minorities in the greater Boston, Philadelphia and Milwaukee metropolitan regions.
. Children with non-standard nodules or masses that are not unequivocally nodules are excluded, including those with irregular epithelium, concern for malignancy requiring biopsy, rapid growth pattern, airway obstruction requiring urgent or operative intervention, and prior laryngeal surgery. Furthermore, since there are several lesions that can present as bilateral true vocal fold masses (such as unilateral cysts or polyps with contralateral fibrovascular reaction, contact granulomas, and Reinke's edema), masses with the following characteristics will be excluded: a) yellow or blue color suggestive of a mucous- or fluid-filled component, b) pink friable lesions at the posterior aspect of the true vocal folds, c) watery edematous expansion without a distinct protrusive mass. Defining characteristics for these exclusion criteria are determined and corroborated by the evaluations of three senior otolaryngologists of each participant's videostroboscopic exam. This examination is based on video-stroboscopy, or, in rare cases, on operative microsuspension laryngoscopy. The video images will be placed on a password-protected server to which all three senior investigators will have access; these video images will not contain any patient identifying information but rather a study number that will be assigned to each participant. In addition, strict inclusion criteria are applied toward excluding masses that are not nodules.
. Children who have previously received any form of speech therapy targeting voice and/or resonance with the exception of articulation or speech therapy.