The total indirect and direct cost of epilepsy in the United States is estimated to be $15.5 billion yearly. This estimate is based on a reported cost of $12.5 billion in 1995 converted to 2004 dollar value using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. 4.
Many patients with adductor type spasmodic dysphonia complain of physical fatigue, tightness of the neck, back, and shoulder muscles and shortness of breath due to their efforts to phonate through the closed glottis. The severity of the symptoms of adductor spasmodic dysphonia varies within and among individuals.
Spasmodic dysphonia remains a curious and unresolved voice disorder, due to its uncertain etiology and treatment potential. Spasmodic dysphonia is a descriptive term for a family of symptoms, all of which include some form of strained, strangled, and effortful voice production. The cause of this disorder has been debated for many years. Recent evidence has demonstrated strong evidence that spasmodic dysphonia has a neurologic origin and should be considered a focal dystonia specific to the larynx and similar to other dystonias such as blepharospasm and torticollis.