Spasmodic Dysphonia
Description of Dysfunction
Etiology
Symptoms
Classification of Phonatory Dysfunction
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Visual Disease Symptoms
Auditory Perceptual Voice Symptoms
A focal dystonia affecting laryngeal muscle control during speech.
Two possible causes
Neurological: Documented existence of abnormal findings in brain function in addition to associated neurological signs.
Psychological (older theory): Dysfunction following a reported traumatic emotional event
Abductive: Vocal folds do not move completely to midline
Adductive: Vocal folds do not move away from midline
Mixed
Adductive: Struggle and strain to talk in association with intermittent stoppages of voice; hoarseness, harshness, and tremor
Abductive: Intermittent episodes of breathy dysphonia, drops in pitch, and vowel prolongations; difficulty transition from voiceless to voiced phonemes
Larynx has a normal appearance, but hyperadduction can be visualized during phonation in adductive spasmodic dysphonia
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