In Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia, the perceptual voice quality typically is?

• A. Breathier voice
• B. Strained-strangled voice with voice breaks on voiced sounds
• C. Normal voice
• D. Harsh, high-pitched voice

Answer: (B)

In Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia, the problem comes from involuntary spasms that make the vocal folds come together too tightly during phonation. This produces a voice that sounds strained and pressed, often described as strangled or tense. Because the vocal folds momentarily lock and then release, the voicing can break on vowels and other voiced sounds, leading to intermittent interruptions in the voice. That combination—strained, tight phonation with breaks on voiced segments—is the hallmark you’d hear. Breathier quality would point to insufficient closure rather than excessive adduction, and a normal voice isn’t expected with this condition, while a harsh, high-pitched voice isn’t the classic perceptual feel for the adductor type.