Adduction laryngeal dystonia: proposal and evaluation of nasofibroscopy

Dystonias are organic central motor processing disorders characterized by involuntary muscular contractions or incontrollable spasms induced by task-specific movements. Adduction laryngeal dystonias present with important speech impairments, with inappropriate spasms and abrupt voice breaks. The diagnosis is based on clinical features, evaluation by a speech therapist and transnasal fiber optic laryngoscopy. AIM: Our objective is to propose and evaluate a task-oriented transnasal fiber optic laryngoscopy protocol, which shows the spasms, and propose maneuvers that reduce or make them disappear, in order to facilitate the diagnosis. METHODS: transversal study. Analysis of the transnasal fiber optic laryngoscopy records of 15 patients with adductor laryngeal dystonia using the proposed protocol. RESULTS: most of the speech and non-vocal tasks allowed us to identify the spasms and reduce or make them disappear. We propose the exclusion of two of the maneuvers that don't bring new data to the evaluation. CONCLUSION: the protocol was useful for the evaluation of the patients, showing changes in muscle behavior in the structure under investigation.