Kennedy's condition is called spasmodic dysphonia, which is a neurologic disorder that can affect the voice and speech by causing the muscles that generate a person’s voice to go into periods of spasm, according to Penn Medicine. It is a lifelong condition, but can be improved with treatment in some cases, according to Penn Medicine.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spasmodic dysphonia, a voice disorder caused by a malfunction in the brain. Here’s what to know.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has struggled for decades with a rare disorder affecting his speech, causing his voice to sound strained and raspy when he speaks.

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD), sometimes referred to as laryngeal dystonia, is a rare neurological condition impacting the voice and speech that impacts approximately 50,000 people in North America. For people with SD, muscles spasms in the larynx (also known as the voice box) cause the voice to sound tight, strangled or strained.

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

One of the hottest topics in the coverage of his confirmation hearing was RFK Jr.'s unusually gruff speaking voice. But the raspy sound to his voice is not the result of an infection or respiratory condition;