A Closer Look at Spasmodic Dysphonia Approximately 7.5 million Americans suffer from a voice disorder (NIDCD). Voice disorders are speech disorders characterized by irregular pitch, loudness, duration, and vocal quality that are inappropriate for an individual’s age or gender (ASHA-Def of communication disorders and variations). Voice disorders are broken into three categories: functional, organic, or both. Organic voice disorders are broken down even further into structural and neurogenic types. Structural voice disorders pertain to the a problem in the physical structure of the larynx, while neurogenic voice disorders are the result of a problem within the nervous system that interacts with the larynx. A common neurogenic voice disorder
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Adductor spasmodic dysphonia is the most common type affecting 80-90% of those diagnosed with the adductor form, and it involves irregular and excessive contractions of the muscles that control the vocal cords. In this type, the thyroarteynoid muscle spasms and forces the vocal cords to come together very tightly. Due to the spasm, the voice quality becomes “strangled-sounding” and results in a broken speech pattern that has abrupt starting and stopping qualities (dystonia medical research foundation). In the adductor form, the voice is strained and very tense. The contractions occur most frequently on the voiced speech sounds causing problems particularly with the vowel sounds. Abductor spasmodic dysphonia is less common than adductor spasmodic dysphonia affecting only 10-20% of those diagnosed, and it acts in the opposite way of the first type. In this second type, the muscles of the vocal cords over-contract. The particular muscle that controls this contraction is the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle. When it contracts quickly, it results in the rapid separation of the vocal cords and creates a “blowing out” quality that resembles a whisper. The sound of voice in the abductor form is weak and breathy. The voiceless speech sounds are the most impacted in abductor spasmodic dysphonia. Symptoms typically occur without any structural irregularity of the larynx and have been reported to progressively worsen over an 18-month period and then remain stable from then on. Circumstances of brief remissions have been reported, but this is uncommon and the symptoms return (national spasmodic dysphonia
Adductor spasmodic dysphonia is the most common type affecting 80-90% of those diagnosed with the adductor form, and it involves irregular and excessive contractions of the muscles that control the vocal cords. In this type, the thyroarteynoid muscle spasms and forces the vocal cords to come together very tightly. Due to the spasm, the voice quality becomes “strangled-sounding” and results in a broken speech pattern that has abrupt starting and stopping qualities (dystonia medical research foundation). In the adductor form, the voice is strained and very tense. The contractions occur most frequently on the voiced speech sounds causing problems particularly with the vowel sounds. Abductor spasmodic dysphonia is less common than adductor spasmodic dysphonia affecting only 10-20% of those diagnosed, and it acts in the opposite way of the first type. In this second type, the muscles of the vocal cords over-contract. The particular muscle that controls this contraction is the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle. When it contracts quickly, it results in the rapid separation of the vocal cords and creates a “blowing out” quality that resembles a whisper. The sound of voice in the abductor form is weak and breathy. The voiceless speech sounds are the most impacted in abductor spasmodic dysphonia. Symptoms typically occur without any structural irregularity of the larynx and have been reported to progressively worsen over an 18-month period and then remain stable from then on. Circumstances of brief remissions have been reported, but this is uncommon and the symptoms return (national spasmodic dysphonia