Botulinum toxin injections for essential voice tremor

• Fifteen patients, 13 women and 2 men, with a mean age of 72.7 years (56 to 86 years) and a clinical diagnosis of essential voice tremor, were treated with botulinum injections to the thyroarytenoid muscles, and in some cases, to the cricothyroid or thyrohyoid muscles. Evaluations were based on subjective judgments by die patients, and on perceptual and acoustic analysis of voice recordings. Subjective evaluations indicated that the treatment had a beneficial effect in 678 of the patients. Perceptual evaluations showed a significant decrease in voice tremor during connected speech (p < .05). Acoustic analysis showed a nearly significant decrease in the fundamental frequency variations (p = .06) and a significant decrease in fundamental frequency during sustained vowel phonation (p <. 01). The results of perceptual evaluation coincided most closely with the subjective judgments. It was concluded that the treatment was successful in 50% to 65% of the patients, depending on the method of evaluation.

Nyckelord

acoustic analysis

botulinum toxin

perceptual evaluation

voice tremor

vocal tremor

activation

dysphonia

disorders

quality

vibrato

muscles

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