Purpose: Sjögren’s syndrome is a systemic, chronic autoimmune disorder that affects primarily the salivary and lacrimal glands, leading to xerostomia and resulting in disorders of the functions of the mouth, throat, and larynx. Immune deficiency continues to be a major global public health concern. For example, around 4% of the world's population is living with immune deficiency diseases, which affects approximately 20 million in the U.S. alone. Among them, between 2 million and 4 million of Americans have been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, corresponding to 1% of the U.S. population. Effects of Sjögren’s syndrome on body functions become very relevant given their nature and relation to specific groups. The purpose of this paper was to revisit current evidence-based indicators of the effects of Sjögren’s syndrome on voice and to generate evidence of its impact upon occupational voice as well as the quality of life of a professional voice user.

Method: This paper entails an examination of the current knowledge including substantive findings regarding the occurrence of voice disorders associated with Sjögren’s syndrome. Additional insight is provided by perspectives and voice assessment of a professional voice user who has been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome. The participant is a higher education faculty who uses voice as an occupational tool daily. The potential impact of Sjögren’s syndrome on voice was determined by measurements including self-reported information from questionnaires and specific voice assessments using various tools. Specific instruments utilized were the Voice Profile, the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), the V-RQOL, the SF-26, the ESSPRI, the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V), and voice acoustics obtained from the Computerized Speech Lab (CSL). Data analysis includes quantitative and qualitative examination of speech and voice assessment data.

Results: Immune deficiency associated with Sjögren’s syndrome may affect the vocal tract and related structures leading to voice disorders. The impact can potentially be accentuated in association with high voicing demands, as in occupational voice usage. The results are presented visually and in table form to identify impacts on voice and speech when daily demands are placed on the voice mechanism of a patient with Sjögren’s Syndrome.

Conclusion: This paper was developed to support potential clinical implications and future research directions. There has been an increased interest in understanding the effects of autoimmune diseases on body functions, including the voice, as an important facet in the paradigm of quality of life. Outcomes will support the development of a methodology to generate a database of voice disorders in individuals affected by immune def