Swallowing Disorders Lab

http://www.bu-ent.com/ForPhysicians/center-voice-swallowing-research.html

Center for Voice and Swallowing Research

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

Research Projects:

(1) Efficacy of Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia in Head & Neck Cancer Patients
PI:  Susan Langmore
Contact Information:  Gintas Krisciunas, MPH, MA
Program Administrator
Phone:  617 414-156
Email:  gintas.krisciunas@bmc.org

Collaborators and CoInvestigators:

Boston Medical Center:

Gregory Grillone, MD, Scharukh Jalisi, Minh Tam Truong, Mike Walsh, Rebecca Scheel

Other Boston Participating Sites

Dana Farber Cancer Center, Brigham and Womens, Beth Israel Deaconess, Lahey Clinic,VA Medical Center

New York City:

New York University, Beth Israel, Lenox Hill

Chicago

Northwestern University

Madison, WI

U Wisconsin, Madison

Iowa City, IA

U of Iowa

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
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, Rebecca Scheel
Collaborators:  Edel McNally, Michael Walsh, Hadas Golan
Description:  This prospective cohort study is determining laryngeal pathology, 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  are given to patients 24 to 48 hrs after extubation.

(4) Efficacy of Swallowing Exercise Therapy in Parkinson’s Patients and Head and Neck Cancer Patients
PI:  Susan Langmore
Collaborators:  Keri Vasquez Miloro, Gintas Krisciunas
Description:  These two projects in planning will compare an aggressive exercise therapy to standard therapy for its ability to improve swallow function in patients with Parkinson’s Disease or after Head & Neck Cancer. 

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

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.