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Christopher Watts, Ph.D. – Publications

Burk B, Watts CR (in press). The Effect of Parkinson’s Disease Tremor Phenotype on Cepstral Peak Prominence and Transglottal Airflow in Vowels and Speech. Journal of Voice.

Watts CR (2016). A Retrospective Study of Long-Term Treatment Outcomes for Reduced Vocal Intensity in Hypokinetic Dysarthria. BMC Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders. 16:2. eCollection doi: 10.1186/s12901-016-0022-8.

Rousseau B, Watts CR. (2002).  Susceptibility of speakers with Parkinson disease to delayed auditory feedback.  Journal of Medical Speech-Language Pathology, 10(1): 41-49.

Watts CR, VanRyckeghem M. (2001).  Laryngeal dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.  BMC Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders,  (1).

Watts CR,  Dagenais P. (2001).  Effects of attentional load on speech rate reduction in subgroups of speakers with Parkinson’s disease.  Journal of Medical Speech-Language Pathology, 9(1): 55-61.

Watts CR, Hamilton A, Toles L, Childs L, Mau T (in press). Intervention Outcomes of Two Treatments for Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.

Watts CR, Knickerbocker K. (in press). Characteristics of a Treatment-Seeking Population in a Private Practice Community Voice Clinic: An Epidemiological Study. Journal of Voice

Watts CR (2016). Treatment modality and timing influence voice outcomes for vocal fold paralysis after thyroidectomy: A recommendation for guarded generalizations from a meta-analysis. Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 10(1), 20-24.

Watts CR, Hamilton A, Toles L, Childs L, Mau T (2015). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Stretch-and-Flow Voice Therapy for Muscle Tension Dysphonia. Laryngoscope, 125(6): 1420-1425.

Watts CR, Hamilton A, Toles L, Childs L, Mau T.  (2015). The Effect of Stretch-and-Flow Voice Therapy on Measures of Vocal Function and Handicap. Journal of Voice, 29(2):191-199

Burk B, Watts CR (in press). The Effect of Parkinson’s Disease Tremor Phenotype on Cepstral Peak Prominence and Transglottal Airflow in Vowels and Speech. Journal of Voice.

Joshi A, Watts CR (in press). Phonation Quotient Using Three Aerodynamic Instruments in the Disordered Voice. Journal of Voice.

Joshi A, Watts CR (2018). A Comparison of Indirect and Direct Methods for Estimating Transglottal Airflow Rate. Journal of Voice. 32(6):655-659

Watts CR, Dumican MJ (2018). The Effect of Transcutaneous Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Laryngeal Vestibule Closure Timing in Swallowing. BMC Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders, 18(5): 1-7.

Watts CR, Awan SN, Maryn Y (2017). A Comparison of Cepstral Peak Prominence Measures from Two Acoustic Analysis Programs. Journal of Voice. 31(3): 387.e1-387

Gaskill C, Awan JA, Awan SN, Watts CR (2017). Acoustic and perceptual classification of within-sample normal, intermittently dysphonic, and consistently dysphonic voice types. Journal of Voice, 31(2): 218-228.

Joshi A, Watts CR (2017). Phonation Quotient in Females: A Measure of Vocal Efficiency Using Three Aerodynamic Instruments. Journal of Voice, 31(2): 161-167

Joshi A, Watts CR (2016). Measurement reliability of phonation quotient derived from three aerodynamic instruments. Journal of Voice, 30(6): 773.e13-773.e19

Hughes T, Watts CR (2016). The Effects of Two Resistive Exercises on Electrophysiological Measures of Submandibular Muscle Activity. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 97(9): 1552-1557.

Watts CR, Kelly B (2015). The Effect of Bolus Consistency and Sex on Electrophysiological Measures of Hyolaryngeal Muscle Activity During Swallowing.  Dysphagia, 30(5): 551-557.

Watts CR, Ronshaugen R, Saenz D (2015). The Effect of Age and Vocal Task on Cepstral/Spectral Measures of Vocal Function in Adult Males. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 29(6): 415-423.

The overarching goal of this line of research is to expand human knowledge of how Parkinson’s disease (PD) effects laryngeal function in voice and swallowing to inform the development of more effective treatments to rehabilitate and/or sustain those functions. We are specifically interested in how voice and swallowing impairments manifest in different clinical phenotypes (e.g., subtypes) of PD. Our research investigates how voice and swallowing are influenced by PD tremor phenotype (e.g., tremor dominant vs. non-tremor dominant), age of onset (e.g., late onset vs. younger onset), sex, and years post-onset. A major aim of this research is to increase our understanding of how and why laryngeal function in voice and swallowing is impaired heterogeneously (differently) across the large population of people with PD.

The overarching goal of this line of research is to measure the effectiveness of treatments for voice disorders so that clinicians have access to research which might inform their evidence-based practice. Most recently, we have focused on the effectiveness of Stretch-and-Flow voice therapy, an approach which centers on the control of airflow during speech as a foundation upon which to rebalance the vocal subsystems. This line of applied research utilizes clinical trials and small group designs to measure clinical outcomes after a period of voice treatment (typically 6 to 8 weeks).  A major aim of this research is to determine which treatments provide a meaningful benefit to patient quality of life, improvement in physiological function, and enhancement of perceived communication effectiveness.

The overarching goal of this line of research is to explore the utility of instrumental measures of voice and swallowing physiology within the context of clinical assessment and treatment. We utilize acoustic, aerodynamic, and electrophysiological instrumentation to assess how the larynx and associated structures function during voice production and swallowing. These measurements are obtained both before and after voice or swallowing treatments. A major aim of this research is to determine which instrumental measures effectively and validly capture changes in physiological function post-treatment.

Christopher R. Watts (Ph.D., Univ. of South Alabama) is the Director (Chair) of the Davies School of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences at TCU, where he also holds the appointment of tenured Professor. Prior to his arrival at TCU in 2008, Dr. Watts held faculty appointments at James Madison University, the University of South Alabama, and the University of Central Florida. His clinical, research, and teaching interests center on laryngeal function in voice and swallowing, with an emphasis on laryngeal physiology in Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Watts regularly publishes research in the top peer-reviewed scientific journals of communication sciences & disorders, and presents his research at national and international conferences.

Dr. Watts is known for his mentorship of students and quality of research. He has been recognized with the Wassenich Award for Mentoring at TCU, and was twice recognized with the Dean’s Award for Research. His outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and service to the profession were recognized by election as Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 2015.

In the Davies School of COSD, Dr. Watts teaches graduate courses in Voice Disorders and undergraduate courses in Speech & Hearing Science. He also collaborates in the Voice Clinic on the campus of TCU, a specialty program within the Miller Speech & Hearing Clinic. Dr. Watts has established collaborative relationships with national and international colleagues. His ongoing collaboration with Dr. Ted Mau and his team at the UT Southwestern Medical School has resulted in important clinically focused research utilizing high quality research designs.

Learn more about Dr. Watts’ program of research by exploring the lab pages.