Spasmodic dysphonia

Abstract

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is considered a focal laryngeal dystonia in which a patient experiences inappropriate laryngeal muscular contractions during speech. The most common form, adductor SD, produces inappropriate muscle contraction causing excessive glottal closure and a strained and strangled speaking pattern. Abductor SD is less common, and results in a persistently open glottal configuration with breathy breaks or a whispering speaking pattern. Although the task specificity for focal laryngeal dystonia has been observed mostly for speech, there is a low incidence of adductor breathing dystonia that may produce inspiratory stridor. The etiology of laryngeal dystonia falls into the same categories as forms affecting other areas of the body. Drug-induced glottic dystonic reactions have been described causing acute upper airway obstruction necessitating intubation (1,2,2a).