Dysphonia Health Dictionary

Loss of voice, usually sudden. Commonly caused by emotional stress with no detectable physical abnormality in the LARYNX. Damage or disease of the larynx usually results in dysphonia (partial voice loss). Where no physical cause can be identi?ed, reassurance and, if the voice does not quickly return, PSYCHOTHERAPY are the treatment.... aphonia

Dystonia refers to a type of involuntary movement characterised by a sustained muscle contraction, frequently causing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures, and caused by inappropriate instructions from the brain. It is sometimes called torsion spasm, and may be synonymous with ATHETOSIS when the extremities are involved. Often the condition is of unknown cause (idiopathic), but an inherited predisposition is increasingly recognised among some cases. Others may be associated with known pathology of the brain such as CEREBRAL PALSY or WILSON’S DISEASE.

The presentation of dystonia may be focal (usually in adults) causing blepharospasm (forceful eye closure), oromandibular dystonia (spasms of the tongue and jaw), cranial dystonia/Meige syndrome/Brueghel’s syndrome (eyes and jaw both involved), spastic or spasmodic dysphonia/laryngeal dystonia (strained or whispering speech), spasmodic dysphagia (di?culty swallowing), spasmodic torti/latero/ ante/retrocollis (rotation, sideways, forward or backward tilting of the neck), dystonic writer’s cramp or axial dystonia (spasms deviating the torso). Foot dystonia occurs almost exclusively in children and adolescents. In adults, the condition usually remains focal or involves at most an adjacent body part. In children, it may spread to become generalised. The condition has always been considered rare, but commonly is either not diagnosed or mistakenly thought to be of psychological origin. It may, in fact, be half as common as MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS). Similar features can occur in some subjects treated with major tranquillising drugs, in whom a predisposition to develop dystonia may be present.

One rare form, called dopa-responsive dystonia, can be largely abolished by treatment with LEVODOPA. Particularly in paediatric practice this drug will often be tried on a child with dystonia.... dystonia

Professionally trained speech therapists assist, diagnose and treat the whole spectrum of acquired or developmental communication disorders. They work in medical and education establishments, often in an advisory or consultative capacity. The medical conditions in which speech therapy is employed include: dysgraphia, DYSLEXIA, DYSARTHRIA, DYSPHASIA, DYSPHONIA, DYSPRAXIA, AUTISM, BELL’S PALSY, CEREBRAL PALSY, DEAFNESS, disordered language, delayed speech, disordered speech, DOWN’S (DOWN) SYNDROME, LARYNGECTOMY, LEARNING DISABILITY, MACROGLOSSIA, MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE (MND), malformations of the PALATE, PARKINSONISM, STAMMERING, STROKE and disorders of voice production.

Speech therapists form a small independent profession, most of whom work for the National Health Service in community clinics, general practices and hospitals. They may also work in schools or in units for the handicapped, paediatric assessment centres, language units attached to primary schools, adult training centres and day centres for the elderly.

A speech therapist undergoes a four-year degree course which covers the study of disorders of communication in children and adults, phonetics and linguistics, anatomy and physiology, psychology and many other related subjects. Further information on training can be obtained from the College of Speech Therapists.

If the parents of a child are concerned about their child’s speech, they may approach a speech therapist for assessment and guidance. Their general practitioner will be able to give them local addresses or they should contact the district speech therapist. Adults are usually referred by hospital consultants.

The College of Speech Therapists keeps a register of all those who have passed a recognised degree or equivalent quali?cation in speech therapy. It will be able to direct you to your nearest NHS or private speech therapist.... speech therapy

A term used if a baby or young child has not achieved new abilities within the normal time range. Normally, new abilities and new patterns of behaviour appear at given ages, and existing patterns of behaviour change and sometimes disappear (see child development).

Delays vary in severity and may affect the development of hand–eye coordination, walking, listening, language, speech, or social interaction. Delay may first be noticed by parents or detected during a routine developmental check.

There are many causes of developmental delay. A child who is late in most aspects of development usually has a generalized problem. This may be due to severe visual or hearing impairment, limited intellectual abilities (see learning difficulties), or damage to the brain before, during, or after birth.

Specific areas of delay may occur in movement and walking. Often there is no serious cause. However, specific causes may include muscular dystrophy and spina bifida. Delay in developing manipulative skills is often due to lack of adequate stimulation.

A lack of response to sound may be due to deafness. Autism is a rare cause of unresponsiveness to the human voice although hearing is normal. A hearing problem may cause delayed speech. Twins are often late talkers. Any generalized difficulty with muscle control can affect speech production; this may occur in children with cerebral palsy. Damage to, or structural defects of, the speech muscles, larynx (voice box), or mouth may also cause speech difficulties, as may any disorder affecting the speech area of the brain (see aphasia; dysarthria; dysphonia; speech disorders). Delay in bladder and bowel control have many possible causes (see encopresis; enuresis; soiling).

A child who shows signs of developmental delay should undergo a full assessment by a paediatrician.... developmental delay