Education

• PhD, Speech and Hearing Science & Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, 2006

Research Interests

Dr. Ciucci’s research interests focus on the neurobiological and behavioral underpinnings of cranial sensorimotor control. She is currently exploring the effects of degenerative neurologic disease-induced deficits on voice, speech, and swallowing (oromotor function) using both clinical and basic science methods. Her clinical studies on swallowing focus on fine motor skills required to generate subtle changes in pressure generation during the pharyngeal stage of swallowing, considering the influence of disease state, therapy, and medications on these processes. She also studies Parkinson disease to examine the impact of early sensorimotor training approaches on functional improvement of vocalization and swallow behaviors as well as the underlying neural substrates of exercise-induced brain changes and explores how anti-Parkinson medications influence complex sensorimotor enrichment outcomes. Dr. Ciucci believes understanding these processes will lead to better treatments and functional outcomes for patients with Parkinson disease and other neurologic disorders.

Dr. Ciucci's Lab

Recent Publications

• Effect of aging on ultrasonic vocalizations and laryngeal sensorimotor neurons in rats.
  Basken JN, Connor NP, Ciucci MR
  Experimental brain research. Experimentelle Hirnforschung. Experimentation cerebrale 2012 May 5.
  [PubMed ID: 22562586]
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• Cranial and related sensorimotor impairments in rodent models of Parkinson's disease.
  Fleming SM, Schallert T, Ciucci MR
  Behav. Brain Res. 2012 Jun 1; 231(2):317-22.
  [PubMed ID: 22394540]
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• Application of classification models to pharyngeal high-resolution manometry.
  Mielens JD, Hoffman MR, Ciucci MR, McCulloch TM, Jiang JJ
  Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR 2012 Jan 9.
  [PubMed ID: 22232390]
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• High-Resolution Manometry of Pharyngeal Swallow Pressure Events Associated with Effortful Swallow and the Mendelsohn Maneuver.
  Hoffman MR, Mielens JD, Ciucci MR, Jones CA, Jiang JJ, McCulloch TM
  Dysphagia 2012 Jan 4.
  [PubMed ID: 22215280]
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• Otolaryngology head and neck surgery: an integrative view of the larynx.
  McCulloch TM, Van Daele D, Ciucci MR
  Head Neck 2011 Oct; 33 Suppl 1():S46-53.
  [PubMed ID: 21910154]
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• Targeted training of ultrasonic vocalizations in aged and Parkinsonian rats.
  Johnson AM, Doll EJ, Grant LM, Ringel L, Shier JN, Ciucci MR
  J Vis Exp 2011; (54):.
  [PubMed ID: 21847085, PMC ID: 3211124]
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• Assessing the role of dopamine in limb and cranial-oromotor control in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.
  Kane JR, Ciucci MR, Jacobs AN, Tews N, Russell JA, Ahrens AM, Ma ST, Britt JM, Cormack LK, Schallert T
  J Commun Disord 2011 Sep-Oct; 44(5):529-37.
  [PubMed ID: 21820129, PMC ID: 3278988]
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• Tongue force and timing deficits in a rat model of Parkinson disease.
  Ciucci MR, Russell JA, Schaser AJ, Doll EJ, Vinney LM, Connor NP
  Behav. Brain Res. 2011 Sep 23; 222(2):315-20.
  [PubMed ID: 21459116, PMC ID: 3113690]
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• Automated analysis of pharyngeal pressure data obtained with high-resolution manometry.
  Mielens JD, Hoffman MR, Ciucci MR, Jiang JJ, McCulloch TM
  Dysphagia 2011 Mar; 26(1):3-12.
  [PubMed ID: 21264672]
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• Pharyngeal swallow adaptations to bolus volume measured with high-resolution manometry.
  Hoffman MR, Ciucci MR, Mielens JD, Jiang JJ, McCulloch TM
  Laryngoscope 2010 Dec; 120(12):2367-73.
  [PubMed ID: 21108425]
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