[Do psychological factors change in patients with spasmodic dysphonia after injections with botulinum-toxin?].
OBJECTIVE
A pre-/posttherapeutic comparative study was carried out to investigate possible associations of voice symptoms, selected psychological factors and their changing.


METHODS
A total of 11 patients with spasmodic dysphonia (adductor-type) subjected to botulinum-toxin-therapy. Patients had received treatment without any complications for at least 2 years. During that period of time, they received a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 9 injections (mean: 6).


METHODS
Psychosocial data were measured before and after treatment using standardized psychological methods. The time span between measurements ranged from 1;8 to 4;6 years, with an average of 2;1 years.


RESULTS
On average, no somatic disorder, no clinically meaningful states of anxiety or pathological manifestations of personality traits could be detected, neither pre- nor posttherapeutically. The average stress load caused by life-changing-events was unobtrusive. Before treatment, 5 of 11 patients had an affective disorder in terms of a depressed mood. This caused a higher than average mean depressivity score for the group as a whole. It was no longer found posttherapeutically.


CONCLUSIONS
The depression is interpreted as a psychic reaction. An association between spasmodic voice symptoms and psychosocial genesis could not be proved.
Kiese-Himmel
C
C
Abteilung Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany. ckiese@med.uni-goettingen.de
Reeh
M
M
Liebeck
H
H
Zwirner
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007826:Laryngismus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012803:Sick Role; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A