Develop analytical tools for high-speed laryngeal imaging in clinical applications

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

0402439 Yan The long-term objective of the proposed research is to establish the mechanism underlying phonation in normal and pathological voice conditions. An emerging theme in voice research correlates specific properties of the vocal-fold vibration with voice quality. This correlation is significant because it could provide the framework to understand the mechanism of phonation and help establish new clinical protocols and diagnostic metrics for voice assessment. The investigators will address this challenging problem using an approach that integrates the high speed digital imaging (HSDI) of the larynx to resolve actual vibrations of the vocal folds with novel, quantitative image and signal analyses developed in the PI's laboratory. These studies will be conducted in cooperation with physician-collaborators who will supply HSDI recordings from a cohort of human subjects with normal voice and specific voice disorders. Analyses will be used to understand the mechanism of phonation. Through a systematic classification of different properties of the vocal fold vibrations in normal and pathological voices, a web-based diagnostic database will be built. Implementation of the proposed research will advance understanding of the mechanism of phonation and provide new tools for the prognosis of certain diseases such as laryngeal cancer and the diagnosis and assessment of voice disorders resulting from neurological disease such as Parkinson's, aging and surgery. The proposal creates opportunities for translational research through establishing new clinical diagnostic protocols for voice disorders and an online, comparative database for web-based voice diagnosis and physician/specialist training. The proposed research will also lead to the emergence of HSDI-based telemedicine device for remote, real-time examination and diagnosis of patients. Approaches used in the research would be incorporated into modeling and imaging courses for undergraduate and graduate students and local students would be invited to participate in the research as part of the outreach initiative of a newly proposed Biomedical Engineering Program.