Voice Disorders

The Voice and Speech Laboratory at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary provides both assessment and therapy treatment services for patients with voice disorders. Voice disorders are caused by disturbances in the functioning of the larynx (the "voice box" in the neck), and can be associated with a variety of conditions including: neurological disorders (e.g., nerve damage, Parkinson's Disease), non-neurological organic disorders (e.g., trauma to the larynx, cancer), and misuse/abuse of the voice (e.g., excessive yelling or loud talking). Individuals with voice disorders may experience symptoms such as hoarseness, breathy voice quality, difficulty projecting voice, voice loss, voice that is easily fatigued or deteriorates with use. Professional help should be sought if such symptoms persist, since these may be signs of underlying physical problems.

All Laboratory services are provided by speech-language pathologists who hold national certification (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) and are licensed by the State of Massachusetts.

Patients generally come to the Laboratory for assessment following an initial examination and referral by an ear, nose, and throat specialist. A complete assessment includes state-of-the-art acoustic, aerodynamic, electroglottographic, and videostrobocopic evaluation. Each patient's test results are presented and discussed at a weekly meeting of all Laboratory staff (Voice Rounds), and this "team" of specialists determines diagnoses and treatment recommendations.

A full range of voice therapy treatment services are also provided by Laboratory staff who specialize in the treatment of all types of voice disorders with special expertise in the areas of professional voice (e.g., singers/performers), and the rehabilitation of patients who have lost the larynx (laryngectomy) due to cancer.

Contact Information

For further details on Voice Disorder services at the Infirmary,
please call: 617-573-4050; fax:617-573-4060.

content updated: 2/15/06