Speech, Voice, and Swallowing Function

Impairment of orofacial and laryngeal muscle function can result in disorders of speech (dysarthria), voice (dysphonia), or swallowing (dysphagia). Our research focuses on improving clinical methods of assessing the muscles of the tongue and face, comparing muscle impairments to speech and swallowing function, and using acoustic and aerodynamic measures of voice. The work in this laboratory is highly clinically motivated. The Speech Pathology Clinic receives inpatient referrals for service members with combat-related injuries; the primary reason for referral is dysphagia. Our most current work, supported by a research grant from the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, is to study the nature, course, and management of dysphagia in this unique patient population.