What is Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD)?
SD is a voice problem resulting from neurologic causes. SD is usually slow in onset and progression, and usually does not impact other parts of the body. The most common type of SD is the ADDuctor type, where the vocal cords have spasms that bring them together too strongly. People with this type of SD often have a strained or strangled quality to their voice and increased effort to speak. Typically, these patients have problems with sounds like “P”, “T”, or “SH” sounds (as in “PETER,” “TOM, ” and “SHELL”). ABductor SD is much less common. The vocal cords spasm away from each other resulting in a loss of the volume of the voice and an episodic breathiness that makes it difficult for them people to speak. Typically, these patients have trouble with the “GA” or “RA” sounds (as in “GARAGE”). Most patients with SD typically have better voices while singing and their voices are made worse by stressful situations. SD usually does not respond to voice therapy alone (by speech pathologists) an
