Adaptive Closed-loop Brain-computer Interface Therapeutic Intervention in Laryngeal Dystonia
Kristina Simonyan
Summary
The researchers will develop and evaluate the use of adaptive closed-loop brain-computer interface therapeutic intervention in laryngeal dystonia.
Description
Dystonia is a neurological disorder, which causes involuntary, sustained muscle contractions, resulting in uncontrollable twisting, repetitive movements, and abnormal postures. Selective impairment of motor control of highly skilled and goal-oriented behaviors is the defining feature of task-specific focal dystonias. Among these, laryngeal dystonia (LD) is characterized by involuntary spasms in laryngeal muscles, which selectively occur during speaking but not whispering, crying, or laughing. As speech communication is a vital part of our daily existence, LD symptoms have a deeply pervasive ef…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion criteria: 1. Patients will have clinically documented isolated adductor laryngeal dystonia (ADLD) without any other forms of dystonia or tremor. ADLD causes involuntary spasms during vocal fold adduction, leading to voice breaks predominantly on vowels and strained, strangles quality of voice, predominantly affecting voice production during the speaking. Only patients with the ADLD form of disorder will be recruited to minimize the impact of heterogeneity of voice symptomatology on the outcome of these phase 1 studies; 2. Healthy controls will be healthy individuals with a negative…
Interventions
- Deviceneurofeedback brain-computer interface (BCI)
The integrated components of BCI system include the high-density EEG, 3D-VR, and a built-in ML platform as a real-time neural signal decoder and neurofeedback controller.
Location
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear InfirmaryBoston, Massachusetts