ADDUCTOR SPASMODIC DYSPHONIA - STANDARD EVALUATION OF SYMPTOMS AND SEVERITY

Description and quantification of the symptoms of adductor spasmodic d ysphonia often reflect the clinician's knowledge of the disorder, idea s about the cause of the disorder, and personal experience. No reliabl e instrument that identifies and quantifies the spectrum of perceptual symptoms has been available. Therefore, we developed a standardized m easure called the Unified Spasmodic Dysphonia Rating Scale (USDRS) in cooperation with a team of 118 experienced voice judges. Consensual va lidations of content validity guided the incremental development of th e scale. Using the USDRS allows more consistent and complete data coll ection, both clinically and in research clinical trials.