Richard Luchsinger
Encyclopedia
Richard Luchsinger was a Swiss Doctor
who made early contributions to the field of Speech Language Pathology
, specifically in "phoniatry" or the study of voice
. He was born in Switzerland
and specialized in otorhinolaryngology. His most notable contribution to the field of voice was a textbook that he published with Dr. Gottfried E. Arnold. The textbook was originally published in German
, however the second edition, published in 1965, was translated into English under the title: Voice-Speech-Language.
Although the text was written over 40 years ago, the topics covered in the text are quite similar to those that would be covered in a contemporary voice textbook, which shows how much further along the study of phoniatry was compared to other subdivisions of Speech Language Pathology
at the time. For example, topics covered in this text included: speech
acoustics
, observational methods, treatment of laryngeal electromyography, physiology of respiration
and voice production, genetic
factors in voice, development of voice throughout the lifespan, professional voice, voice therapy
; pathology of the larynx
, nodules
, asymetries, genetic defects of voice and laryngeal web, sulcus glottides, voice related endocrine problems, the effects of peripheral nerve lesions, the sympathetic nervous system
; laryngeal myopathy, central lesions of the nervous system, laryngeal trauma, cordectomy
, joint disorders, alaryngeal voice, vasomotor effects on vocal fold function, functional dysphonias, contact ulcers, ventricular voice, and psychogenic voice disorders.
Luchsinger founded one of the first scholarly journals devoted to the study of voice, called the Folia Phoniatrica. He also founded the Swiss Society for Phoniatrics, Logopedics, and Audiology. Luchsinger published more than 120 research articles, ranging in topic from Cri Du Chat Syndrome to laryngeal surgery. He continued to be an active participant in the Speech Language Pathology
community until his death in 1993.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who made early contributions to the field of Speech Language Pathology
Speech and language pathology
Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
, specifically in "phoniatry" or the study of voice
Voice
Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...
. He was born in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and specialized in otorhinolaryngology. His most notable contribution to the field of voice was a textbook that he published with Dr. Gottfried E. Arnold. The textbook was originally published in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, however the second edition, published in 1965, was translated into English under the title: Voice-Speech-Language.
Although the text was written over 40 years ago, the topics covered in the text are quite similar to those that would be covered in a contemporary voice textbook, which shows how much further along the study of phoniatry was compared to other subdivisions of Speech Language Pathology
Speech and language pathology
Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
at the time. For example, topics covered in this text included: speech
Speech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
, observational methods, treatment of laryngeal electromyography, physiology of respiration
Respiration (physiology)
'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...
and voice production, genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
factors in voice, development of voice throughout the lifespan, professional voice, voice therapy
Voice therapy
Voice therapy may refer to:*Speech therapy, non-surgical techniques used to improve or modify the human voice.*Voice therapy , non-surgical techniques undertaken by transsexual women as a part of gender transition to make their voices sound female...
; pathology of the larynx
Larynx
The larynx , commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles and mammals involved in breathing, sound production, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. It manipulates pitch and volume...
, nodules
Nodule (medicine)
For use of the term nodule in dermatology, see Nodule In medicine, a nodule refers to a relatively hard, roughly spherical abnormal structure....
, asymetries, genetic defects of voice and laryngeal web, sulcus glottides, voice related endocrine problems, the effects of peripheral nerve lesions, the sympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system is one of the three parts of the autonomic nervous system, along with the enteric and parasympathetic systems. Its general action is to mobilize the body's nervous system fight-or-flight response...
; laryngeal myopathy, central lesions of the nervous system, laryngeal trauma, cordectomy
Cordectomy
Cordectomy is the surgical removal of a cord. It usually refers to removal of the vocal cord, often for the purpose of treating Laryngeal Cancer . The word is derived from the Greek, combining "Chorde" and "ektome" meaning excision. It can be carried out by traditional surgical techniques or,...
, joint disorders, alaryngeal voice, vasomotor effects on vocal fold function, functional dysphonias, contact ulcers, ventricular voice, and psychogenic voice disorders.
Luchsinger founded one of the first scholarly journals devoted to the study of voice, called the Folia Phoniatrica. He also founded the Swiss Society for Phoniatrics, Logopedics, and Audiology. Luchsinger published more than 120 research articles, ranging in topic from Cri Du Chat Syndrome to laryngeal surgery. He continued to be an active participant in the Speech Language Pathology
Speech and language pathology
Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
community until his death in 1993.