title: The Quality of Life Burden Associated With Voice Disorders in Sjögren's Syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined quality of life burden of voice disorders in Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with SS (n = 101) completed interviews involving patient-reported histories of voice disorders, specific voice symptoms, SS disease severity, the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), and the general health-related quality of life Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires. Relationships among voice symptoms, disease severity, and quality-of-life measures were examined and compared with patient-reported voice disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlations were observed among voice symptoms, disease severity, V-RQOL, SF-36, and patient-reported voice disorders (P < .05). Patients with SS who reported a voice disorder experienced a greater burden on general quality of life as compared with those without voice disorders. Specific voice symptoms significantly correlated with reduced SF-36 scores included frequent throat-clearing, throat soreness, difficulty projecting, and vocal discomfort. Despite the added burden of a voice disorder on quality of life in SS, voice-related treatment seeking was low (15.8%). However, the majority of patients who received voice treatment reported voice improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals with SS frequently experience voice disorders and specific voice-related symptoms that are associated with reduced quality of life. These findings have important implications for voice referral practices and voice disorder symptom management in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA kristine_tanner@byu.edu.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Jenny L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Ray M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, The University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Karla L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, The University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D014833:Voice Quality; D014834:Voice Training
keywords: SF-36; Sjögren’s syndrome; V-RQOL; autoimmune disease; voice disorders