Expiratory Muscle Strength Training in Improving Bulbar Function and Quality of Life in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

May 17, 2019 updated by: Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Impact of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training on Bulbar Function and Well Being of Individuals With Head and Neck Cancer

This randomized clinical trial studies how well expiratory muscle strength training works in improving bulbar function and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer. Expiratory muscle strength training may help to strengthen the muscles involved in breathing and swallowing and may allow improved breathing, airway safety, swallow function, and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Investigate the impact of a prophylactic targeted exercise program, expiratory muscle strength training (EMST), on swallowing function and well-being of individuals on head and neck cancer (HNC).

II. Determine the impact of EMST on objective respiratory measures of individuals with HNC.

III. Determine the relationship between mean dose across the swallowing muscles (oral tongue and supra-hyoids, base of tongue, superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors, proximal esophagus)/dose on each muscle and the swallowing functional outcomes from aim 1.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients receive standard of care comprising of written patient education materials focusing on oral care, signs/symptoms of dysphagia/aspiration, and trismus. Patients participate in a therapy session conducted by a speech pathologist over 30 minutes once per week for 6 weeks during chemoradiation therapy. Patients also perform prescribed exercises at home daily for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

ARM II: Patients receive standard of care comprising of written patient education materials focusing on oral care, signs/symptoms of dysphagia/aspiration, and trismus. Patients participate in a therapy session conducted by a speech pathologist over 30 minutes once per week for 6 weeks during chemoradiation therapy. Patients perform prescribed exercises at home daily for 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Patients also participate in an EMST session over 30 minutes comprising of 5 sets of 5 repetitions daily for 5 days per week for 6 weeks during chemoradiation therapy.

After completion of study, patients are followed up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
49

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
        • Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

19 years to 78 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with a definitive, curative treatment plan consisting of chemoradiation for head & neck cancer

    • Surgery, if required, must be limited to: diagnostic biopsy

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participants enrolled in a radiation de-intensification protocol
  • Current or previous neurological disease, which may adversely affect swallowing
  • History of oropharyngeal swallowing disorder prior to cancer diagnosis
  • Previous neurosurgery on the brain
  • Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requiring oxygen dependence, as this is a contraindication of EMST

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Arm I (standard of care, home exercises)
Patients receive standard of care comprising of written patient education materials focusing on oral care, signs/symptoms of dysphagia/aspiration, and trismus. Patients participate in a therapy session conducted by a speech pathologist over 30 minutes once per week for 6 weeks during chemoradiation therapy. Patients also perform prescribed exercises at home daily for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment
Ancillary studies
Other Names:
  • Quality of Life Assessment
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Other: Best Practice
Undergo therapy session conducted by a speech pathologist
Other Names:
  • standard of care
  • standard therapy
Other: Educational Intervention
Receive standard of care patient education materials focusing on oral care, signs/symptoms of dysphagia/aspiration, and trismus
Other Names:
  • Education for Intervention
  • Intervention by Education
  • Intervention through Education
  • Intervention, Educational
Other: Exercise Intervention
Perform prescribed home exercises
EXPERIMENTAL: Arm II (standard of care, home exercises, EMST)
Patients receive standard of care comprising of written patient education materials focusing on oral care, signs/symptoms of dysphagia/aspiration, and trismus. Patients participate in a therapy session conducted by a speech pathologist over 30 minutes once per week for 6 weeks during chemoradiation therapy. Patients perform prescribed exercises at home daily for 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Patients also participate in an EMST session over 30 minutes comprising of 5 sets of 5 repetitions daily for 5 days per week for 6 weeks during chemoradiation therapy
Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment
Ancillary studies
Other Names:
  • Quality of Life Assessment
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Other: Best Practice
Undergo therapy session conducted by a speech pathologist
Other Names:
  • standard of care
  • standard therapy
Other: Educational Intervention
Receive standard of care patient education materials focusing on oral care, signs/symptoms of dysphagia/aspiration, and trismus
Other Names:
  • Education for Intervention
  • Intervention by Education
  • Intervention through Education
  • Intervention, Educational
Other: Exercise Intervention
Perform prescribed home exercises
Other: Expiratory Muscle Strength Training
Participate in EMST
Other Names:
  • EMST

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Airway safety during swallowing assessed using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Exploratory mixed effect model will be used to investigate swallow function with time (pre and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month post) as the within-subjects variable and group (expiratory muscle strength training and control) as the between-subjects variable. Pearson or Spearman correlation methods will be used to evaluate the relationship between swallow function/patterning and respiratory and swallow safety measures.
Up to 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Eating Assessment Tool-10
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Collected variables will be estimated through patient and clinician surveys.
Up to 1 year
Expiratory flow assessed using portable digital peak flow meter
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Exploratory mixed effect model will be used to investigate respiratory measures with time (pre and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month post) as the within-subjects variable and group (expiratory muscle strength training and control) as the between-subjects variable. Pearson or Spearman correlation methods will be used to evaluate the relationship between swallow function/patterning and respiratory and swallow safety measures.
Up to 1 year
Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS)
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Collected variables will be estimated through patient and clinician surveys.
Up to 1 year
Lingual strength defined as the maximum pressure of the tongue pressing against the hard palate measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Exploratory mixed effect model will be used to investigate swallow function with time (pre and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month post) as the within-subjects variable and group (expiratory muscle strength training and control) as the between-subjects variable. Pearson or Spearman correlation methods will be used to evaluate the relationship between swallow function/patterning and respiratory and swallow safety measures.
Up to 1 year
Maximum expiratory pressure assessed using the MicroRPM pressure meter
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Exploratory mixed effect model will be used to investigate respiratory measures with time (pre and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month post) as the within-subjects variable and group (expiratory muscle strength training and control) as the between-subjects variable. Pearson or Spearman correlation methods will be used to evaluate the relationship between swallow function/patterning and respiratory and swallow safety measures.
Up to 1 year
Maximum mandibular opening using the TheraBite range of motion scale
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Exploratory mixed effect model will be used to investigate swallow function with time (pre and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month post) as the within-subjects variable and group (expiratory muscle strength training and control) as the between-subjects variable. Pearson or Spearman correlation methods will be used to evaluate the relationship between swallow function/patterning and respiratory and swallow safety measures.
Up to 1 year
Patient reported quality of life assessed using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Exploratory mixed effect model will be used to investigate quality of life with time (pre and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month post) as the within-subjects variable and group (expiratory muscle strength training and control) as the between-subjects variable.
Up to 1 year
Respiratory-swallow phase patterns captured using the standard Modified Barium Swallow Study
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Logistic regression method will be used to explore associations between treatment and respiratory-swallow phase (normal/abnormal).
Up to 1 year
Swallow pathophysiology assessed using the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Exploratory mixed effect model will be used to investigate swallow function with time (pre and 1, 3, 6, and 12 month post) as the within-subjects variable and group (expiratory muscle strength training and control) as the between-subjects variable. Pearson or Spearman correlation methods will be used to evaluate the relationship between swallow function/patterning and respiratory and swallow safety measures.
Up to 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Loni Arrese, PhD, SLP, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ACTUAL)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 29, 2016

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 3, 2019

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 3, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 1, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 1, 2017

First Posted (ACTUAL)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 5, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 21, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 17, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • OSU-16023
  • NCI-2017-00848 (REGISTRY: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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