Hysterical aphonia as a manifestation of hysteria is also called psychogenic aphonia or functional aphonia. Clinically, it is mainly marked by sudden aphonia which may recover later. The disease mostly occurs in women. The patient with hysterial aphonia is mostly related to excessive mental stress or dramatic emotional changes such as anger, excitement, terror, anxiety and grief; the disease occurs when the patient wakes up, or after the patient suffers from a severe disease in a small number of patients.

The disease is categorized into "Baoyin" (sudden aphonia) in TCM. When depressed liver qi invades lung meridian, thoracic qi cannot run through the throat for phonation;or when the cardiac vitality loses its nourishment, the throat will lose its dominator, failing to pronounce. This explains the pathogenic factors and pathogenesis of the disease.