Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that causes dehydration of the eyes, mouth, and throat. Individuals with Primary SS are at risk for voice problems associated with vocal fold dehydration. Topical hydration treatments show promise in reducing the negative effects of vocal fold dehydration on voice production. However, no studies have examined the preventive effects of topical hydration treatments on voice production in individuals at risk for vocal fold dehydration. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of a topical vocal fold hydration treatment on voice production in individuals with Primary SS using the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID). Eight participants with Primary SS completed an eight-week study involving twice-daily audio recordings of sustained vowels and the Rainbow Passage. Participants received 9 mL of nebulized isotonic saline (0.9% Na+Cl-) immediately following morning and evening voice recordings during weeks 3, 4, 7, and 8 using an ABAB within-subjects experimental design. Baseline CSID values were in the mild range. Although CSID values decreased (improved) during the treatment phases of the study, no statistically significant changes were observed from baseline to treatment. Statistically significant correlations were observed among CSID values and patient-based ratings of vocal effort and dryness, which did improve with treatment (p < .05). These results indicate that topical saline treatments may prevent and treat some voice problems associated with vocal fold dehydration in at-risk populations.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of relative fundamental frequency (RFF) in quantifying voice disorder severity and possible change with treatment in individuals with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (SS). Participants completed twice-daily audio recordings during an ABAB within-subjects experimental study investigating the effects of nebulized saline on voice production in this population. Voice samples of the Rainbow Passage from seven of the eight individuals with Primary SS involved in a larger investigation met inclusion criteria for analysis, for a total of 555 tokens. The results indicated that RFF values for this sample were similar to previously reported RFF values for individuals with voice disorders. RFF values improved with nebulized saline treatment but did not fall within the normal range for typical speakers. These findings were similar to other populations of voice disorders who experienced improvement, but not complete normalization, of RFF with treatment. Patient-based factors, such as age and diagnosis as well as measurement and methodological factors, might affect RFF values. The results from this study indicate that RFF is a potentially useful measure in quantifying voice production and disorder severity in individuals with Primary SS.