Psychotherapy combined with breathing training on the treatment of spasmodic dysphonia / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of spasmodic dysphonia(SD) is still unclear and lacks of confirmed diagnostic standards. Limited reports on the treatment mainly focused on botulinum toxin infiltration; recurrent laryngeal nerve section, and voice training, amongst which voice training has been considered as one of the ideal complementary therapeutic means for SD because of less side effects and complications.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the significance of voice training in the treatment of SD and provide a method for the clinical treatment.DESIGN: Clinical case analysis and retrospective study based on patients.SETTING: Department of otolaryngology and cerebral surgery in a university hospital.PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six confirmed SD patients in Wuhan College affiliated Renmin Hospital from February 1985 to December 2002.METHODS: Psychological consultation combined with breathing and voice training was adopted to make patients breathe freely and coordinately, with breath pattern changed from deep chest breathing and reversal breathing to normal chest-abdominal combined breathing, which helped decreasing larynx muscle straining. All patients were followed up for one to two years and their therapeutic effects were assessed by normal phonation, improvement, and ineffectiveness.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment of therapeutic effects.RESULTS: All 36 SD patients achieved satisfactory outcomes after voice training, with SD completely recovered in 30 cases and obviously improved in 6 cases.CONCLUSION: Psychological consultation combined with voice training is an ideal approach for the rehabilitation of SD.