Conditions: Essential Voice Tremor Vocal Tremor Voice Tremor Essential Tremor of Voice
Keywords: voice tremor essential tremor essential voice tremor voice treatment octanoic acid octanol voice disorder dysphonia
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 17
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Essential voice tremor is a neurological condition that produces a regular, shaking quality in the voice. One form of drug treatment that produces some improvement in tremor of the hands is octanoic acid, which is a food additive that is similar to alcohol. Research suggests that octanoic acid may reduce tremor in the hands/arms with few side effects and no intoxication effects. This study will determine whether octanoic acid may be useful for reducing tremor when it affects the voice. Researchers are hypothesizing that octanoic acid will reduce the effects of tremor on the voice.

Detailed description:
Background:

* Essential tremor of the voice produces regular shaking and hoarseness in the voice, making it difficult speech difficult to understand
* Several previous studies have found that octanoic acid and octanol, which are related to alcohol, can improve tremor in some people without producing many side effects and without producing intoxication
* Researchers are interested in determining whether octanoic acid can improve tremor that affects the voice

Objectives:

* To determine the effects of octanoic voice using voice recordings and listener ratings of voice
* To determine the effects of octanoic acid on level of voice disability experienced by people with essential voice tremor

Arms:
arm 1: Participants will receive a pill/capsule with an inactive ingredient during the placebo arm of this study. arm 2: Participants will receive a pill/capsule with octanoic acid (amount determined by the participant's weight) during the experimental arm of this study.

Interventions: intervention 1: Octanoic acid intervention 2: Inactive capsule
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: None intervention 2: None

Protocol document: