A Preliminary Report of Some Atypical Movement Patterns in the Tongue, Palate, Hypopharynx, and Larynx of Patients with Spasmodic Dysphonia

Abstract

The simultaneous recording of speech and fluoroscopic images for the definition of atypical muscular movements associated with spasmodic dysphonia is advocated. This technique is being employed in a continuing clinical study of laryngeal and pharyngeal function in patients with spasmodic dysphonia. Present data provide evidence that spasmodic dysphonia can be symptomatic of isolated, phonatory-related laryngospasms or may appear in association with a more general problem that affects the behavior of the laryngeal and pharyngeal musculature during quiet respiration as well as during contextual speech. Atypical movement patterns observed in the larynx and pharynx may be primarily tremor-related or may occur as apparent manifestations of muscular dystonia.