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Voice and Speech Disorders
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Program Director:
Berke, Gerald S. M.D.
Gerratt, Bruce Ph.D
Sercarz, Joel A. M.D.
Contact Phone Number
(310) 206-6688
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Description of Clinical Program
The UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts manages patients with a wide variety of vocal problems including voice disorders of obscure etiology, spasmodic dysphonia, weak voice due to advance age or neurologic disease, laryngeal paralysis, benign and malignant laryngeal lesions, and voice problems of the professional voice user.
Program Experience
With over two decades of clinical and research experience, the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts is a unique, national resource for all problems affecting the voice. A multidisciplinary team of experts, including speech pathologists, voice scientists, and surgeons work closely with referring physicians to optimize voice function. Many patients who had lost their voices have returned to normal, productive lives through treatments offered in the center.
Since 1982, the center has received a number of grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the development of evaluation techniques aimed at improving the management of voice disorders. Additionally, ongoing study of new techniques and treatments have resulted in therapies, including phonosurgery, that can be conducted simply and safely on an outpatient basis.
Program Approach
Upon referral, patients receive a comprehensive vocal function evaluation to document vocal quality, pitch, loudness, and efficiency. Measurements include acoustic analysis and aerodynamic analysis of translaryngeal airflow and subglottal pressure. Laryngostroboscopy provides laryngeal imaging to monitor vocal fold movement and glottal configuration.
The combination of these measures provides a profile of laryngeal/phonatory function essential to clinical management, including voice therapy or phonosurgery in some cases.
Referring physicians receive an in-depth written report of the team’s clinical findings with treatment alternatives.
Vocal rehabilitation includes medical and/or surgical treatments, which may be carried out by the patient’s own physician in some cases. The following are sample treatment regimens currently utilized by center staff for vocal rehabilitation:
· Botulinum toxin injection for spasmodic dysphonia, laryngeal granuloma, and paradoxical vocal fold motion
· Collagen injection, nerve reinnervation, arytenoid adduction or thyroplasty for vocal fold paralysis
· Collagen injection for vocal fold paresis or bowing
· Resection of laryngeal masses
· Laryngeal reconstruction
Patients are returned to the care of their referring physicians upon conclusion of treatment.
Research Applications
Center staff conduct both basic science and clinical research that is directed at improving assessment and treatment approaches for voice disorders.
Clinical studies are focused on (1) investigation into new methods of evaluating vocal quality, (2) research into the efficacy of vocal fold collagen injections to augment the vocal folds in patients with weak voice, and (3) evaluation of surgical treatment for spasmodic dysphonia.
Basic science research is being conducted to study fundamental aspects of laryngeal biomechanics, aerodynamics, acoustics, new methods of laryngeal reconstruction and laryngeal transplantation.
Faculty Members
Gerald S. Berke, M.D.
Professor and Chief, Division of Head and Neck Surgery
Bruce R. Gerratt, Ph.D.
Professor, Division of Head
and Neck Surgery
Indications for Referral
Patients with the following symptoms are candidates for referral to the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts:
· Previous undiagnosed disorders of the voice and/or larynx
· Professional voice disorders
· Vocal fold nodules or other benign lesions
· Chronic laryngitis or hoarseness
· Spasmodic dysphonia
· Weak voice as a result of advancing age or neurologic disease
· Neurologic voice disorders, including voice tremor
· Laryngeal pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions
· Laryngeal paralysis
· Laryngeal granuloma
· Laryngeal papilloma
Contact for Patient Referral
For Appointments:
(310) 206-6688
For Program Information:
(310) 825-5179 or
(310) 825-2023
After Hours Emergencies:
Head and Neck surgeon on call
(310) 825-6301
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