Efficacy of Voice Therapy for Patients with Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia (ADSD)-like Symptoms

Nine patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD)-like symptoms were treated by voice therapy. The outcome of the treatment for each patient were evaluated by two methods. 1. Five otolaryngologists assessed the severity of dysphonia before and after voice therapy using a 7 point scale (0: normal-6: most severe). 2. The patients judged by themselves the degree of improvement through voice therapy. The results were satisfactory in four of the nine patients. Two of these four patients recorded normal, and were finally diagnosed as functional dysphonia after voice therapy. The other two were the patients diagnosed as ADSD, who had shown a reduction of the symptoms in a trial session of voice therapy. The results suggest that 1. voice therapy for patients with ADSD-like symptoms is useful as a diagnostic tool for those cases which the differential diagnosis between ADSD and functional dysphonia is necessary. 2. an initial trial session of voice therapy is recommended for patients with ADSD-like symptoms because there are few cases where an improvement of the symptoms might be expected.