Research Toward Occupational Safety in Vocalization

这项研究解决了一个重要的公共需求，即保护美国约1000万工人，他们严重依赖自己的声音作为主要贸易工具。越来越多的证据表明，职业语音使用者，如教师，电话工作人员，部长，顾问，面试官，都有声音损伤的风险，因为他们从长时间说话中得到的恢复时间不足。潜在的假设是，有一个有限的振动剂量，声带组织可以承受。对于使用电动工具时手传振动，安全剂量取决于振动暴露的频率、振幅和持续时间。麦克风的使用解决了与声音响度有关的过量问题，但没有解决持续时间过长的问题。一个声音剂量计已经设计，测试，目前正在使用的教师在丹佛地区的公立学校系统，以测量声音剂量。教师们还自我监测他们的声音疲劳程度。在这一更新申请中，主要关注的是组织对过度振动反应的分子基础。具体目的是（1）确定固有层的理想几何和粘弹性性质，（2）量化声音恢复时间并将其与自动感知等级相关联，（3）在各种分化状态下培养不同的细胞类型，（4）确定体外单层系统的共培养的相对优点，（5）在生物反应器中设计固有层的3D体外模型，（6）识别和功能表征候选振动响应基因，（7）开发经济发声的理论模型，（8）探索两种类型的基于经济的发声治疗。最终目标是为重嗓音使用者提供安全标准，这些标准基于对嗓音损伤的遗传倾向、经济嗓音使用的训练程度、典型工作日的振动累积剂量以及夜间和周末的恢复量。一个多学科的研究小组已经成立，以解决这一公共卫生问题的物理，生物化学，分子和行为水平的调查。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research addresses an important public need, the protection of an estimated 10 million workers in the U.S. who rely heavily on their voice as a primary tool of trade. Evidence has been growing that occupational voice users, such as teachers, telephone workers, ministers, counselors, interviewers, are at risk for vocal injury because they get inadequate recovery times from prolonged speaking. The underlying hypothesis is that there is a limited vibration dose that vocal fold tissues can withstand. As for hand-transmitted vibration in power tools use, a safe dose is governed by frequency, amplitude, and duration of vibration exposure. Microphone use solves the overdose problem related to vocal loudness, but does not address the problem of excessive duration. A voice dosimeter has been designed, tested, and is currently in use by teachers in the Denver area public school system to measure vocal dose. The teachers also self-monitor their vocal fatigue levels. In this renewal application, the primary focus will be on the molecular underpinnings of tissue response to excessive vibration. Specific aims are to (1) determine the ideal geometric and viscoelastic properties of the lamina propria, (2) quantify voice recovery times and relate them to auto-perceptive ratings, (3) culture distinct cell types at various states of differentiation, (4) determine the relative merits of co-culture for in vitro monolayer systems, (5) engineer a 3D in vitro model of the lamina propria in a bioreactor, (6) identify and functionally characterize candidate vibration-responsive genes, (7) develop a theoretical model of economic voice production, and (8) explore two types of economy-based vocal therapy. The ultimate goal is to provide heavy voice users with safety criteria based on genetic disposition to vocal injury, degree of training in economic voice use, accumulated dose of vibration in a typical work day, and the amount of recovery available at night and on weekends. A multi-disciplinary research team has been assembled to address this public health concern at physical, biochemical, molecular, and behavioral levels of investigation.