Vocal outbursts can be voluntary (controlled) or semi-voluntary (occurring as a response to an impulse that is largely beyond an individual's control). Involuntary (or semi-voluntary) vocal outbursts are a feature of certain neurological conditions characterized by other types of tics, such as involuntary movements. The classic example is Tourette syndrome, but other neurological disturbances can result in vocal outbursts as well. Psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia may have vocal outbursts as a symptom, and some people suffering from dementia or other forms of damage to the brain may display vocal outbursts in the form of uncontrolled or dysregulated speech. Alcohol and drug use can also lead to impairment of behavior and control, leading sometimes to vocal outbursts.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.
Pictures, Images, Illustrations & Quizzes
-
Alcohol Quiz: Alcoholism & Health Effects
Take the Alcohol (Alcoholism) Quiz to learn how your alcohol is processed by your body and your brain....
-
Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Testing for Bipolar Depression
Bipolar disorder (once called manic depression) causes extreme mood shifts and can be disorienting. Our experts define bipolar...
-
Picture of Huntington's Disease
Huntington's disease is a hereditary disorder caused by a faulty gene for a protein called huntingtin. See a picture of...
-
Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Types, Causes, Treatment
What is schizophrenia? Learn about schizophrenia symptoms, signs, and treatment. Read about schizophrenia types such as paranoid...
-
Teen Drug Abuse: Warning Signs, Statistics, and Facts
Teen drug abuse is a growing concern today. Learn statistics, facts, warning signs, and effects related to teen substance abuse...
Causes of Vocal Outbursts
-
Alcohol and Teens
Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by American teenagers. Teens that drink are more likely to drive under the influence,...
-
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as...
-
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia. Symptoms and warning signs of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss,...
-
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) is a mental illness characterized by depression, mania, and severe mood swings. Treatment...
-
Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens
Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a disorder that causes unusual and extreme mood changes. Symptoms of bipolar...
-
Brain Tumor (Symptoms, Signs, Types, Causes, Survival Rates)
A brain tumor can be either non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant), primary, or secondary. Common symptoms of a primary...
-
Dementia
Dementia is defined as a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with...
-
Drug Abuse
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and...
-
Huntington's Disease
Huntington's disease is the result of degeneration of neurons in areas of the brain. Huntington's disease is an inherited...
-
Pick Disease
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a syndrome that is associated with shrinking of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain....
-
Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness that features schizophrenia and a mood disorder, either major depression or bipolar...
-
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that may cause hallucinations and delusions and affect a person's ability to...
-
Seizure (Epilepsy)
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are...
-
Stroke (Signs, Symptoms, Warning Signs)
A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain caused by either a blood clot (ischemic) or bleeding...
-
Teen Drug Abuse
Drugs commonly abused by teens include tobacco products, marijuana, cold medications, inhalants, depressants, stimulants,...
-
Tourette Syndrome
Tourette syndrome is disorder, which symptoms include involuntary facial tics, motor tics, and vocal tics. The cause of Tourette...
Other Causes of Vocal Outbursts
- Chronic Vocal Tic Syndrome
- Drug or Alcohol Withdrawal
- Medications
- Multi-infarct Dementia
- Vascular Dementia
Examples of Medications for Vocal Outbursts
From 
Brain and Nervous System Resources
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Subscribe to MedicineNet's General Health Newsletter
By clicking Submit, I agree to the MedicineNet's Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy and understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet's subscriptions at any time.
