Spasmodic Dysphonia
Definition
Spasmodic dysphonia involves difficulty speaking because of repetitive or continuous spasms (dystonia) of the muscles that control the vocal cords.
Alternative Names
Dysphonia - spasmodic
Symptoms
The excessive activity of the vocal cord muscles drives the vocal cords either too close or too far apart.
This causes a hoarse or grating sounding voice, often with pauses (known as adductor dysphonia) or a whispery, breathy voice (abductor dysphonia), which is less common.
Treatment
Some people will find that the problem goes away when they sing or shout. Botulinum toxin (Botox) treatments may help.
References
Goetz CG, ed. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 13.
Review Date:
6/19/2008
Reviewed By:
Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, WA; Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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