Evaluation of Vocal Tremor

Vocal tremor affects approximately 1/3 of individuals with Essential Tremor, Parkinson Disease, and Spasmodic Dysphonia. To date, the focus of treating these individuals has utilized localized injection of botulinum toxin (Botox®) into laryngeal musculature with mixed benefit. Recent work addressing vocal tremor speech science principles determined patterns that enable improved accuracy in identifying and characterizing vocal tremor patterns. Furthermore, speaking strategies were developed to reduce the opportunity of perceiving vocal tremor during speaking for those with mild to moderately severe vocal tremor. However, critical to the success of speech treatment for vocal tremor is a thorough evaluation including auditory-perceptual, acoustic, and laryngeal-pharyngeal imaging methods. The focus of this course is to summarize the background and principles behind clinical evaluation of vocal tremor for effective treatment planning.