Condition
Spasmodic dysphonia
David Cohen, M.D.Published 18 February 20051 min read
Key points
- Spasmodic dysphonia involves difficulty speaking because of repetitive or continuous contraction (dystonia) of the muscles that control the vocal cords.
- The excessive activity of the vocal cord muscles drives the vocal cords either too close or too far apart, causing a hoarse sounding voice (known as adductor dysphonia) or a whispery, high pitched voice (abductor dysphonia), respectively.
Alternative names
Dysphonia - spasmodic
Definition
Spasmodic dysphonia involves difficulty speaking because of repetitive or continuous contraction (dystonia) of the muscles that control the vocal cords.
The excessive activity of the vocal cord muscles drives the vocal cords either too close or too far apart, causing a hoarse sounding voice (known as adductor dysphonia) or a whispery, high pitched voice (abductor dysphonia), respectively.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
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