Singing Without Speaking: A Unique Case of Psychogenic Speech and Voice Disorder in an Adolescent.

Abstract

Psychogenic voice disorder, often a manifestation of conversion disorder, is characterized by a sudden impairment of voice following a stressful event or other psychological cause. This case report presents a patient with a psychogenic voice disorder featuring the atypical ability to sing despite losing conversational voice. Few case reports exist on psychogenic speech and voice disorders, and no cases in the current literature examine the loss of conversational voice with preservation of singing voice. In this case, the patient experienced sudden onset stuttering which progressed to complete loss of voice in all settings while retaining the ability to sing. Despite extensive medical, psychiatric, and speech-language evaluations, including psychotherapy and speech therapy, the symptoms persisted, highlighting the diagnostic and treatment challenges in psychogenic voice disorders. This case underscores the complex interplay between psychological stressors and physical symptoms in psychogenic voice disorders, and highlights the lack of effective, evidence-based therapies for psychogenic voice disorders.