Nonorganic Habitual Dysphonia and Autonomic Dysfunction

Demmink-Geertman, Lize & Philippe Henri Dejonckere. Nonorganic Habitual Dysphonia and Autonomic Dysfunction. Journal of Voice. (2002) Vol. 16, no 4: 549-559.

Summary:
The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that there is a relation between nonorganic habitual dysphonia and subjective experience of dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (neurovegetative lability). Eighty-three patients (65 women and 18 men) with a nonorganic voice disorder and a matched control group answered a questionnaire of 46 questions. One question replicated in different terms and six nonrelevant questions point out that the inquiry forms were answered in a consistent way. It appears that female patients in all age categories with a nonorganic habitual dysphonia report significantly more autonomic symptoms and complaints than healthy controls. This hypothesis cannot be confirmed for the male subgroup.

Keywords: Nonorganic habitual dysphonia-Functional dysphonia-Autonomic nervous system-Vegetative function-Anxiety-Stress.

Adress correspondence and reprint requests to P.H. Dejonckere, MD, PhD. The Institute of Phoniatrics. University Medical Center Utrecht, AZU F.02.504, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht. The Netherlands.