Primary Muscle Tension Dysphonia

Purpose of Review: Primary muscle tension dysphonia (PMTD) is a voice disorder of indeterminate cause, thought to be multifactorial. Emerging research is improving its diagnosis, but the lack of standard diagnostic testing for PMTD still creates challenges in accurate diagnosis and treatment. Recent Findings: Review of the recent literature demonstrates the scarce validity and reliability of subjective laryngeal palpation measures, which are commonly used to assess the presence of intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal tension in PMTD. An initial study with transcranial magnetic stimulation shows promise in the differential diagnosis between adductor spasmodic dysphonia and PMTD. Summary: Current and past review of the literature continues to demonstrate the need for future investigation to determine the true pathophysiology of PMTD and its accurate differential diagnosis. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.