Current Evidence for the Organic Etiology of Spastic Dysphonia

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Abstract
For over 100 years it has been universally assumed in the literature that spastic dysphonia is a functional or psychoneurotic voice disorder. In the last few years, new data have accumulated that support the concept that spastic dysphonia is caused by an organic, rather than a functional, abnormality. Histologic examination of segments of the recurrent laryngeal nerve removed from patients with spastic dysphonia has revealed myelin abnormalities in 30% of the nerves examined. Neurologic examinations indicated brain stem or basal ganglia disturbances in some patients who had no apparent nerve disease.