Research Toward Occupational Safety in Vocalization

描述（由申请人提供）：这项研究解决了一个重要的公共需求，即保护美国大约1000万工人，他们严重依赖自己的声音作为贸易的主要工具。越来越多的证据表明，职业声音使用者，如教师、电话工作人员、部长、顾问、面试官，由于长时间说话而没有得到足够的恢复时间，因此有声音损伤的风险。潜在的假设是声带组织可以承受的振动剂量有限。至于使用电动工具时手传的振动，安全剂量取决于振动暴露的频率、幅度和持续时间。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。一种声音剂量计已经被设计、测试，目前正在丹佛地区公立学校系统的教师中使用，用于测量声音剂量。教师们还会自我监测他们的声音疲劳程度。在这个更新的应用中，主要的焦点将放在组织对过度振动反应的分子基础上。具体目标是：(1)确定固有层的理想几何和粘弹性特性，(2)量化声音恢复时间并将其与自动感知评级联系起来，(3)在不同分化状态下培养不同的细胞类型，(4)确定体外单层系统共培养的相对优点，(5)在生物反应器中设计出固有层的3D体外模型，(6)识别和功能表征候选振动响应基因。(7)建立经济声音产生的理论模型；(8)探索两种基于经济的声音治疗。最终目标是为重度语音使用者提供基于语音损伤的遗传倾向、经济语音使用的训练程度、典型工作日的累积振动剂量以及夜间和周末可恢复的量的安全标准。已经组建了一个多学科研究小组，从物理、生化、分子和行为水平调查解决这一公共卫生问题。

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.