Spasmodic dysphonia is a rare neurological disorder that causes involuntary spasms in the vocal cords, making speech strained, breathy, or hoarse.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. started developing symptoms of the condition in 1996. Spasmodic dysphonia is a neurological condition that causes certain muscles in the “voice box,” or larynx, to spasm, often making the voice sound raspy, strained or breathy.

American politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once had a very strong voice. But last month when he appeared during the Senate confirmation hearing for his nomination to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services,