This has been around for years and was previously called Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement. The word “paradoxical” was used because the vocal cords seem to behave in the opposite manner to which they should – they close when they should open. This difficulty is often confused with asthma because of the resulting difficulties with breathing.
Please see the handout about Vocal Cord Dysfunction on our Services page, and also check out this link for a nice overview: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/head-neck/diseases-conditions/vocal-cord-dysfunction