Center for Voice & Swallowing

Research

Director: Susan Langmore, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-S
Location: 820 Harrison Avenue, FGH Building, 4th FL
Clinic: 830 Harrison Avenue, Moakley Building, 1st FL

Research Projects

(1) Efficacy of Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia in Head & Neck Cancer Patients
PI: Susan Langmore, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-S
Contact Information
Gintas Krisciunas, MPH, MA
Program Administrator
Call: 617.414.1756
Email: gintas.krisciunas@bmc.org

Collaborators and CoInvestigators

• Boston Medical Center:
  o Gregory Grillone, MD
  o Scharukh Jalisi
  o Minh Tam Truong
  o Mike Walsh
  o Rebecca Scheel
• Other Boston Participating Sites
  o Dana Farber Cancer Center: Keith Saxon
  o Brigham and Womens: Adele Gagne
  o Beth Israel Deaconess: Cynthia Wagner
  o Lahey Clinic: Eva Michalakis
  o VA Medical Center: Gary Grimignia
• New York City
  o New York University:  Cathy Lazarus
  o Lenox Hill: Loni Burke
• Chicago
  o Northwestern University:  Jeri Logemann
• Madison, WI
  o U Wisconsin, Madison: Tim McCulloch, MD
• Iowa City, IA
  o U of Iowa: Doug VanDaele, MD

Funding: NIH/NCI $2.7 million
Description: This is a 5yr national multi-center, double blind, randomized, clinical trial involving 12 institutions in 5 states. The purpose of the investigation is to learn whether intense swallowing exercise or intense swallowing exercise coupled with electrical stimulation (E-Stim) helps patients who had head/neck cancer and currently have dysphagia swallow better.  We are currently recruiting patients who are 3-6 months post radiation therapy, and who are suspected of having difficulty swallowing.

(2) Predictors of Adverse Functional Outcomes after Head & Neck Cancer Treatment
PI: Susan Langmore, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-S
Collaborators: Jared Schultz, Gintas Kriscuinas, Keri Vasquez Miloro, Scarukh Jalisi
Description: The objective of this retrospective and prospective epidemiologic study is two-fold:  first, to determine the true incidence of swallowing impairment after surgery and/or radiotherapy in patients who undergo treatment for head and neck cancer:  second,  to identify patient-specific and treatment factors that predict functional outcomes relating to eating and swallowing in patients who undergo different treatments for their cancer.  Elucidating such factors would help clinicians make more informed treatment decisions and aid in their ability to counsel and educate patients regarding available treatment options. 

(3) Voice and Swallowing Consequences of Prolonged Orotracheal Intubation
CoPIs: Pieter Noordjij, Susan Langmore
Collaborators: Rebecca Scheel, Edel McNally, Michael Walsh, Hadas Golan
Description: This prospective cohort study is assessing laryngeal findings, swallowing impairment, and voice related QOL outcomes in patients who have been intubated for 5 or more days.  Endoscopic examinations and a patient QOL survey

(4) Assessment of National Standard of Care for Dysphagia in Head & Neck Cancer Patients.
CoPIs: Gintas, Krisciunas, Susan Langmore
Description: Through the development of a usual practice questionnaire, general standard of care on a national level will be determined.  This data can be applied to our systematic review, which determines best treatment practices for this patient population.

Recent Publications

Robbins, J, and Swallowing Work Group: Butler, S., Daniels, S., Gross, R, Langmore, S., Lazarus, C,  Martin-Harris, B., McCabe, D., Musson, N, Rosenbeck, R., Neural plasticity, swallowing and dysphagia: Translating principles of neural plasticity into research on swallowing.  J Speech Lang Hear Res, 31, 1, 2008.

Langmore SE, Grillone G, Elackattu A, Walsh M. Disorders of swallowing: Palliative care. Otolaryngol Clinics North Am, 42:1,87-106,  2009.

Cohen SM, Elackattu AE, Noordzij JP, Walsh MJ, Langmore SE. Palliative treatment of dysphonia and dysarthria. Otolaryngol Clinics North Am, 42: 1, 107-122, 2009

Noordzij JP, Cates JM, Cohen SM, Bennett ML, Ries WMR, Russell PT, Haynes D, Garrett CG, Ossoff RH.  Preparation Techniques for the Injection of Human Autologous Cartilage: an Ex Vivo Feasibility Study.  Laryngoscope. 2008 Jan;118(1):185-8.

Cohen SM, Noordzij JP, Garrett CG, Ossoff RH.  Factors associated with perception of singing voice handicap. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008 Apr;138(4):430-4.

Recent Presentations at Scientific Meetings

To Tube or Not To Tube?  Langmore, Krisciunas, Vasquez-Miloro.  Presentation at the annual Eastern Section meeting of the AAOO-HNS, Boston MA, January, 2009.

Efficiacy of Tube Feeding in Head and Neck Cancer Patients .Langmore, Krisciunas, Vasquez-Miloro,  Annual Dysphagia Research Society meeting, New Orleans, March 2009.

Moving Toward Standardization: Relating National Practice Patters to Evidence Based Treatments for Dysphagia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Gintas P. Krisciunas, Susan Langmore, Keri Vasquez-Miloro.   Annual COSM (Combined Otolaryngology Scientific Meeting) meeting.  Tucson, AZ, May 30, 2009.

Naidu H, Noordzij JP, Samim A, Jalisi S, Grillone GA.  Comparison of Efficacy, Safety and Cost Effectiveness of In-office Cup Forcep Biopsies versus Operating Room Biopsies for Laryngopharyngeal Tumors.   Eastern Section Meeting of the American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc., Boston, MA.  January, 2008.

Marin-Santoni1 M,  Mardirossian V, Noordzij JP, Azocar R.  Loss of Mask Ventilation in a Patient with Obstructing Reinke’s Edema: a Case Report.  International Anesthesia Research Society Convention, San Diego, CA, March 2009.

Keojampa BK, Noordzij JP, Burke B,  Alroy J, Mardirossian V, Elackttu, A, Wang Z.  Survical Characteristics of Injected Human Cartilage Slurry in a Nude Mice Model: a Preliminary Study.   American Laryngological Association Annual Meeting at Combined Otolaryngological Spring Meetings, Phoenix, AZ.  May 2009.