Advancing Understanding and Treatment of Sensorimotor Voice Disorders: Three NIH-Funded Projects at the UT Larynx Lab
Adrianna C. Shembel, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
April 16, 2026
The UTSW Larynx Lab is leading several groundbreaking NIH-funded research initiatives aimed at improving diagnosis and treatment for individuals with sensorimotor voice disorders. These complementary projects target sensory, biomechanical, and neurophysiological contributors to voice disorders, with a shared goal of developing more effective, mechanistically informed clinical diagnostics and interventions.
Below is an overview of three current R01 programs driving this work forward.
1. Sensory Mechanisms in Primary Muscle Tension Dysphonia (R01DC021447)
Primary muscle tension dysphonia (pMTD), a type of functional voice disorder that leads to vocal hyperfunction, remains one of the most challenging voice disorders to diagnose and treat because its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This project investigates how people with pMTD perceive and adapt to sensory information arising from the larynx and broader somatosensory system.
Researchers are examining both laryngeal and global somatosensation, applying tactile perturbation paradigms to the larynx to inform and alter the sensory input the larynx and central nervous system receive. By characterizing how individuals with pMTD respond to these laryngeal perturbations, the study aims to uncover specific sensory adaptation patterns that differentiate individuals with pMTD from healthy controls. These findings may ultimately guide new sensory-targeted therapeutic approaches.
2. Perilaryngeal-Respiratory Spatiotemporal Patterns in Muscle Tension Dysphonia (R01DC021694)
Another critical dimension of pMTD involves the complex coordination between the respiratory system and laryngeal musculature. This project focuses on respiratory-laryngeal coupling during phonation, exploring how these vocal systems interact across variable vocal loads - from everyday speech to more physiologically demanding vocal tasks.
Using advanced multimodal assessments, including motion-capture technology, the research team is mapping the spatiotemporal relationships between respiratory movement patterns and perilaryngeal motor activity. Understanding how these dynamics shift in individuals with pMTD may reveal previously unrecognized biomechanical contributors to vocal hyperfunction. Insights from this work are expected to inform more precise, load-specific treatment strategies that address the full respiratory-laryngeal system rather than the larynx alone.
3. Central Modulation-Paired Motor Rehabilitation for Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury (R01DC021990)
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury remains a major cause of vocal fold paralysis and persistent voice impairments. This project explores a promising new rehabilitation strategy that pairs vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) with behavioral motor rehabilitation to enhance neuroplasticity and promote motor recovery to the paralyzed vocal fold following an RLN injury.
Using a rodent model, the UT Larynx Lab is testing how central neuromodulation can amplify motor rehabilitation within laryngeal pathways. The goal is to determine whether VNS can accelerate or improve the functional return of vocal fold movement after vocal fold paralysis. If successful, this work could lay the foundation for a new class of combined neuromodulatory and behavioral rehabilitation approaches for patients with an RLN injury.
Looking Ahead at These Three R01 Projects
These projects together represent a comprehensive, multisystem examination of sensorimotor voice disorders - from sensory processing and motor coordination to neuroplastic mechanisms of laryngeal motor recovery. By integrating insights across these domains, the UT Larynx Lab aims to advance precision-based diagnostics and develop more effective, tailored therapeutic interventions for individuals living with sensorimotor voice disorders.