Introduction to Voice Disorders and Anatomy

Introduction to Voice Disorders

• Voice disorders impact various aspects of life, including academics, social interactions, psychology, vocation, and communication.

Anatomy and Physiology of Voice Production

• The larynx has multiple functions, including phonation, airway protection, assistance in swallowing, and helping in activities demanding highly elevated abdominal pressures.
• Suprasegmental vocalization in babies includes different cries.

Incidence and Prevalence of Voice Disorders

• Incidence refers to the rate of occurrence of new cases, while prevalence indicates how commonly a disease or condition occurs in a population.
• Figures for incidence and prevalence of voice disorders are not precise due to conflicting definitions, methodological differences, and varying patient populations.
• According to Roy et al. (2005), nearly 7% of respondents had a voice disorder at the time of the interview, and nearly 30% had experienced a voice disorder at least once in their lifetime.
• According to Cohen et al. (2012), about 1% of patients received a diagnosis of dysphonia, with females being almost twice as likely as males to be diagnosed, and adults over 70 being two-and-a-half times more likely than those under 70.

Classification of Voice Disorders

• Stemple (2007) classified voice disorders into congenital laryngeal pathologies, pathologies of the vocal fold cover, neurogenic laryngeal pathologies, and pathologies of muscular dysfunction.
• Boone et al. (2020) suggested a classification system including muscle tension voice disorders, functional voice disorders, psychogenic voice disorders, organic voice disorders, and neurogenic voice disorders.

Types of Voice Disorders

• Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD) is the most common voice disorder seen in both children and adults, caused by overuse of the respiratory, laryngeal, and supralaryngeal systems.
• Psychogenic Voice Disorders can result from severe emotional trauma or conflict, manifesting as functional dysphonia or functional aphonia.
• Organic Voice Disorders are related to structural deviations of the vocal tract or diseases of specific structures.

This quiz covers the basics of voice disorders, their impact on daily life, and the anatomy and physiology of voice production, including the functions of the larynx and vocalization in babies.