Lab News
Laryngeal dystonia is a chronic disorder characterized by spasms of laryngeal muscles that impair speech. Past research from the lab showed that vibro-tactile stimulation (VTS) of the larynx is a form of neuromodulation that may alleviate the voice symptoms in people with laryngeal dystonia. Now the lab received a $59,000 grant award from the Dysphonia International organization to study the neurophysiological mechanism behind the effectivenees of VTS. In cooperation with researchers at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, we will use high-resolution MRI to examine how the brain networks involved in speech are altered in people with laryngeal dystonia during VTS.
Yung-tze Lee, Farina Mirbagheri, and Xinyi Zhou, HSC lab members and masters students, published a study on ankle proprioception in the Journal of Motor Behavior. Yung-tze, receiving a dual-degree from Chang Gung University in Taiwan and the University of Minnesota, is the first author of the paper that investigated differences in ankle position sense acuity during dorsi- versus plantarflexion.
In collaboration with colleagues in the Department of Otolaryngology, the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab (HSC Lab) received the second phase of funding of a $494,136 award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The funded project examines laryngeal vibration as a possible treatment for people with unexplained chronic cough, a condition that affects an estimated 5% of all Americans. Because the pathophysiology of chronic cough is not well understood, these patients have very limited treatment options. Our earlier proof-of-concept work could document that a subgroup of people with chronic cough respond to laryngeal vibration and this award seeks to substantiate this finding in a clinical trial. Jürgen Konczak, director of the HSC Lab, serves as Co-PI; Dr. Stephanie Misono from Otolaryngology, who sees patients in her clinic, is the PI of the grant.
Leoni Viola Winter, a long-time member of the laboratory, defended her dissertation entitled The effects of proprioceptive training and dyad practice to improve sensorimotor function. The lab wishes her all the best for her future. Dr. Winter will stay in Minneapolis. She has accepted a postdoctoral researcher position in the Motor Neurophysiology Lab of Dr. Cooper in the Department of Neurology at the University of Minnesota.