Ever wondered why Robert Kennedy Jr.'s voice sounds unusual? He was diagnosed with a neurological disorder that impacts vocal ...

From his bid for president to his recent nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, there is one question constantly asked of Robert Kennedy Jr. — Why does he sound like that?

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD), sometimes referred to as laryngeal dystonia, is a rare neurological condition impacting the voice ...

That said, it's considered a rare disorder. About 50,000 people in North America have spasmodic dysphonia, according to Dysphonia International. Everyone experiences spasmodic dysphonia ...

In the 1990s, while in he was in his early 40s, Kennedy learned he had spasmodic dysphonia, according to NBC News. About 50,000 people in North America live with spasmodic dysphonia, according to ...

About 1 in 100,000 people worldwide have it. There are two main types of SD. Adductor spasmodic dysphonia, which is the kind Kennedy has, means “the vocal folds press too tightly together during ...

“Speech and voicing are often greatly impacted in people with spasmodic dysphonia and it can make communication quite challenging,” adds Dr. Madden. “The exact cause is not fully ...

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of people with spasmodic dysphonia in North America. It is 50,000, not 500,000. When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction.

About 50,000 people in North America live with spasmodic dysphonia, according to Mount Sinai, and it most often starts in middle age. More women than men have the condition, and people who do a ...