Michelle R Ciucci, PhD
Professor
Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
ciucci@surgery.wisc.edu
(608) 263-0192
1300 University Ave
MC 1509
Madison, WI 53706
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 the 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. She 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.
Recent Publications
Assays of tongue force, timing, and dynamics in rat and mouse models.
Rudisch DM, Krasko MN, Nisbet AF, Schaen-Heacock NE, Ciucci MR
Brain Res Bull 2022 Jul; 185: 49-55
[PubMed ID: 35469932]Manipulation of vocal communication and anxiety through pharmacologic modulation of norepinephrine in the Pink1-/- rat model of Parkinson disease.
Hoffmeister JD, Kelm-Nelson CA, Ciucci MR
Behav Brain Res 2022 02 10; 418: 113642
[PubMed ID: 34755639]Quantification of brainstem norepinephrine relative to vocal impairment and anxiety in the Pink1-/- rat model of Parkinson disease.
Hoffmeister JD, Kelm-Nelson CA, Ciucci MR
Behav Brain Res 2021 09 24; 414: 113514
[PubMed ID: 34358571]Measurement of Pharyngeal Air Pressure During Phonation Using High-Resolution Manometry.
Hoffmeister JD, Ulmschneider CL, Jones CA, Ciucci MR, McCulloch TM
J Speech Lang Hear Res 2021 09 14; 64(9): 3456-3464
[PubMed ID: 34319775]Rat Models of Vocal Deficits in Parkinson's Disease.
Krasko MN, Hoffmeister JD, Schaen-Heacock NE, Welsch JM, Kelm-Nelson CA, Ciucci MR
Brain Sci 2021 Jul 13; 11(7)
[PubMed ID: 34356159]