Neel Bhatt
University of Washington, WA·Medicine & Clinical Research·Early-career
As people age, many develop thin, bowed vocal folds that no longer close completely during speech. This condition is called age-related vocal atrophy (ARVA).
- Fields
Medicine & Clinical Research
Physiology
Neuroscience
- Topics
age-related vocal atrophy
presbyphonia
larynx
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Apr 2030
What they work on
- Quantify neuromuscular changes in the aging larynx of a rat model using laryngeal evoked response studies, which record the compound motor action potential (CMAP) after stimulating the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
- Test in human subjects whether nerve-to-muscle signals in the larynx become progressively desynchronized with age, using laryngeal evoked response studies as the primary measure.
- Relate electrical measures of laryngeal nerve and muscle function to muscle function, vocal fold appearance and tissue histology in aging rats and humans.
More about the research
It weakens the voice and impairs swallowing and communication, and it is linked to social isolation and depression. Its cause is poorly understood, current treatments often fail, and diagnosis is largely subjective. Diagnosis is further complicated because ARVA overlaps with vocal changes seen in Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters
Age-related vocal atrophy affects a substantial portion of older adults, impairing voice and swallowing and contributing to isolation and depression. An objective electrical measure of nerve-muscle decline in the larynx could make diagnosis less subjective and help distinguish it from Alzheimer's-related changes. It may also guide targeted treatments, which are currently often ineffective.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Donald O Freytes
North Carolina State University, NC·Biomedical Engineering
Identify the molecules in a vocal fold lamina propria extract (VFLPx) that reduce scarring and kill microbes, using proteomic analysis, which profiles all proteins present, and targeted assays.
Elizabeth DiRenzo
Stanford University, CA·Medicine & Clinical Research
Characterize the properties of laryngeal epithelial basal cells, the presumed progenitors of the vocal fold lining, in normal mice using differentiated epithelium, primary culture and three-dimensional tissue-like culture systems.
Laura Toles
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX·Medicine & Clinical Research·Early-career
Identify personality traits and daily voice behaviors that come before phonotrauma, by following vocally healthy college freshman singers for three years with personality inventories, ambulatory voice monitoring and high-speed videoendoscopy.
The school
University of Washington: 81 labs on PI Pages, $1.7B a year on research, 694 research doctorates a year.
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