The pitch of babies’ cries predicts their voice pitch at age 5

Voice pitch (fundamental frequency, F 0 ) is a key dimension of our voice that varies between sexes after puberty, and also among individuals of the same sex both before and after puberty. While a recent longitudinal study indicates that inter-individual differences in voice pitch remain stable in men during adulthood and may even be determined before puberty (Fouquet et al. 2016 R. Soc. open sci. 3 , 160395. ( doi:10.1098/rsos.160395 )), whether these differences emerge in infancy remains unknown. Here, using a longitudinal study design, we investigate the hypothesis that inter-individual differences in F 0 are already present in the cries of pre-verbal babies. While based on a small sample ( n = 15), our results indicate that the F 0 of babies' cries at 4 months of age may predict the F 0 of their speech utterances at 5 years of age, explaining 41% of the inter-individual variance in voice pitch at that age in our sample. We also found that the right-hand ratio of the length of their index to ring finger (2D : 4D digit ratio), which has been proposed to constitute an index of prenatal testosterone exposure, was positively correlated with F 0 at both 4 months and 5 years of age. These findings suggest that a substantial proportion of between-individual differences in voice pitch, which convey important biosocial information about speakers, may partly originate in utero and thus already be present soon after birth.

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Seven and up: individual differences in male voice fundamental frequency emerge before puberty and remain stable throughout adulthood

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.160395 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (10) ◽

pp. 160395 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Meddy Fouquet ◽

Katarzyna Pisanski ◽

Nicolas Mathevon ◽

David Reby

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Fundamental Frequency ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Voice Pitch ◽

Male Voice ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adult Age ◽

Androgen Exposure ◽

Television Documentary ◽

Voice Fundamental Frequency

Voice pitch (the perceptual correlate of fundamental frequency, F 0) varies considerably even among individuals of the same sex and age, communicating a host of socially and evolutionarily relevant information. However, due to the almost exclusive utilization of cross-sectional designs in previous studies, it remains unknown whether these individual differences in voice pitch emerge before, during or after sexual maturation, and whether voice pitch remains stable into adulthood. Here, we measured the F 0 parameters of men who were recorded once every 7 years from age 7 to 56 as they participated in the British television documentary Up Series . Linear mixed models revealed significant effects of age on all F 0 parameters, wherein F 0 mean, minimum, maximum and the standard deviation of F 0 showed sharp pubertal decreases between age 7 and 21, yet remained remarkably stable after age 28. Critically, men's pre-pubertal F 0 at age 7 strongly predicted their F 0 at every subsequent adult age, explaining up to 64% of the variance in post-pubertal F 0. This finding suggests that between-individual differences in voice pitch that are known to play an important role in men's reproductive success are in fact largely determined by age 7, and may therefore be linked to prenatal and/or pre-pubertal androgen exposure.

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Cortical correlates of the auditory frequency-following and onset responses: EEG and fMRI evidence

10.1101/076448 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Emily B.J. Coffey ◽

Gabriella Musacchia ◽

Robert J. Zatorre

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Auditory Cortex ◽

Fundamental Frequency ◽

Initial Response ◽

Cortical Activity ◽

Acoustic Energy ◽

Frequency Following Response ◽

Auditory Cognition ◽

Brainstem Nuclei ◽

The Right

AbstractThe frequency following response (FFR) is a measure of the brain’s periodic sound encoding. It is of increasing importance for studying the human auditory nervous system due to numerous associations with auditory cognition and dysfunction. Although the FFR is widely interpreted as originating from brainstem nuclei, a recent study using magnetoencephalography (MEG) suggested that there is also a right-lateralized contribution from the auditory cortex at the fundamental frequency (Coffey et al., 2016c). Our objectives in the present work were to validate and better localize this result using a completely different neuroimaging modality, and document the relationships between the FFR and the onset response, and cortical activity. Using a combination of electroencephalography, fMRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging, we show that activity in the right auditory cortex is related to individual differences in FFR-f0 strength, a finding that was replicated with two independent stimulus sets, with and without acoustic energy at the fundamental frequency. We demonstrate a dissociation between this FFR-f0-sensitive response in the right and an area in left auditory cortex that is sensitive to individual differences in the timing of initial response to sound onset. Relationships to timing and their lateralization are supported by parallels in the microstructure of the underlying white matter, implicating a mechanism involving neural conduction efficiency. These data confirm that the FFR has a cortical contribution, and suggest ways in which auditory neuroscience may be advanced by connecting early sound representation to measures of higher-level sound processing and cognitive function.Significance StatementThe frequency following response (FFR) is an electroencephalograph signal that is used to explore how the auditory system encodes temporal regularities in sound, and which is related to differences in auditory function between individuals. It is known that brainstem nuclei contribute to the FFR, but recent findings of an additional cortical source are more controversial. Here, we use functional MRI to validate and extend the prediction from magnetoencephalography data of a right auditory cortex contribution to the FFR. We also demonstrate a dissociation between FFR-related cortical activity from that related to the latency of the response to sound onset, which is found in left auditory cortex. The findings provide a clearer picture of cortical processes for analysis of sound features.

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Cortical tracking of voice pitch in the presence of multiple speakers depends on selective attention

10.1101/2021.12.03.471122 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christian Brodbeck ◽

Jonathan Z. Simon

Keyword(s):

Selective Attention ◽

Fundamental Frequency ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Stream Segregation ◽

Voice Pitch ◽

Auditory Stream Segregation ◽

Pitch Tracking ◽

Relative Value ◽

The Right ◽

Task Irrelevant

AbstractVoice pitch carries linguistic as well as non-linguistic information. Previous studies have described cortical tracking of voice pitch in clean speech, with responses reflecting both pitch strength and pitch value. However, pitch is also a powerful cue for auditory stream segregation, especially when competing streams have pitch differing in fundamental frequency, as is the case when multiple speakers talk simultaneously. We therefore investigated how cortical speech pitch tracking is affected in the presence of a second, task-irrelevant speaker. We analyzed human magnetoencephalography (MEG) responses to continuous narrative speech, presented either as a single talker in a quiet background, or as a two-talker mixture of a male and a female speaker. In clean speech, voice pitch was associated with a right-dominant response, peaking at a latency of around 100 ms, consistent with previous EEG and ECoG results. The response tracked both the presence of pitch as well as the relative value of the speaker’s fundamental frequency. In the two-talker mixture, pitch of the attended speaker was tracked bilaterally, regardless of whether or not there was simultaneously present pitch in the speech of the irrelevant speaker. Pitch tracking for the irrelevant speaker was reduced: only the right hemisphere still significantly tracked pitch of the unattended speaker, and only during intervals in which no pitch was present in the attended talker’s speech. Taken together, these results suggest that pitch-based segregation of multiple speakers, at least as measured by macroscopic cortical tracking, is not entirely automatic but strongly dependent on selective attention.

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Aerodynamic and Acoustic Voice Measures Before and After an Acute Public Speaking Stressor

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00252 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (10) ◽

pp. 3311-3325

Author(s):

Brittany L. Perrine ◽

Ronald C. Scherer

Keyword(s):

Fundamental Frequency ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Public Speaking ◽

Stress System ◽

Before And After ◽

Subglottal Pressure ◽

Response To Stress ◽

System Activation ◽

Speaking Fundamental Frequency ◽

Pituitary Adrenal Axis

Purpose The goal of this study was to determine if differences in stress system activation lead to changes in speaking fundamental frequency, average oral airflow, and estimated subglottal pressure before and after an acute, psychosocial stressor. Method Eighteen vocally healthy adult females experienced the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. The TSST includes public speaking and performing mental arithmetic in front of an audience. At seven time points, three before the stressor and four after the stressor, the participants produced /pa/ repetitions, read the Rainbow Passage, and provided a saliva sample. Measures included (a) salivary cortisol level, (b) oral airflow, (c) estimated subglottal pressure, and (d) speaking fundamental frequency from the second sentence of the Rainbow Passage. Results Ten of the 18 participants experienced a hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to stress as indicated by a 2.5-nmol/L increase in salivary cortisol from before the TSST to after the TSST. Those who experienced a response to stress had a significantly higher speaking fundamental frequency before and immediately after the stressor than later after the stressor. No other variable varied significantly due to the stressor. Conclusions This study suggests that the idiosyncratic and inconsistent voice changes reported in the literature may be explained by differences in stress system activation. In addition, laryngeal aerodynamic measures appear resilient to changes due to acute stress. Further work is needed to examine the influence of other stress systems and if these findings hold for dysphonic individuals.

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Participant Reactions to Suicide-Focused Research

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000650 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 367-374

Author(s):

Sarah P. Carter ◽

Brooke A. Ammerman ◽

Heather M. Gebhardt ◽

Jonathan Buchholz ◽

Mark A. Reger

Keyword(s):

Medical Records ◽

Research Study ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient ◽

Small Sample ◽

Inpatient Unit ◽

Online Laboratory ◽

Psychiatric Inpatient Unit ◽

Before And After ◽

Participant Reactions

Abstract. Background: Concerns exist regarding the perceived risks of conducting suicide-focused research among an acutely distressed population. Aims: The current study assessed changes in participant distress before and after participation in a suicide-focused research study conducted on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Method: Participants included 37 veterans who were receiving treatment on a psychiatric inpatient unit and completed a survey-based research study focused on suicide-related behaviors and experiences. Results: Participants reported no significant changes in self-reported distress. The majority of participants reported unchanged or decreased distress. Reviews of electronic medical records revealed no behavioral dysregulation and minimal use of as-needed medications or changes in mood following participation. Limitations: The study's small sample size and veteran population may limit generalizability. Conclusion: Findings add to research conducted across a variety of settings (i.e., outpatient, online, laboratory), indicating that participating in suicide-focused research is not significantly associated with increased distress or suicide risk.

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Individual Differences and Hemispheric Asymmetry While Processing Emotional Words

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000137 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 137-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lindsay M. Niccolai ◽

Thomas Holtgraves

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Hemispheric Asymmetry ◽

Past Research ◽

Decision Task ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Hemispheric Differences ◽

Affective Valence ◽

Emotional Words ◽

Emotion Words ◽

The Right

This research examined differences in the perception of emotion words as a function of individual differences in subclinical levels of depression and anxiety. Participants completed measures of depression and anxiety and performed a lexical decision task for words varying in affective valence (but equated for arousal) that were presented briefly to the right or left visual field. Participants with a lower level of depression demonstrated hemispheric asymmetry with a bias toward words presented to the left hemisphere, but participants with a higher level of depression displayed no hemispheric differences. Participants with a lower level of depression also demonstrated a bias toward positive words, a pattern that did not occur for participants with a higher level of depression. A similar pattern occurred for anxiety. Overall, this study demonstrates how variability in levels of depression and anxiety can influence the perception of emotion words, with patterns that are consistent with past research.

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Change in Intra-Individual Variability in Older Adults and Individual Differences: A Longitudinal Study

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e633262013-900 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Delphine Fagot ◽

Nathalie Mella ◽

Anik De Ribaupierre

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Individual Variability

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Comparative Arterial Antithrombotic Activity of Clopidogrel and Acetyl Salicylic Acid in the Pig

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1646307 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 68 (05) ◽

pp. 500-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Ch M Samama ◽

Ph Bonnin ◽

M Bonneau ◽

G Pignaud ◽

E Mazoyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Aggregation ◽

Femoral Artery ◽

Bleeding Time ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Flow Reduction ◽

Cyclic Flow ◽

Left Femoral Artery ◽

Before And After ◽

The Right ◽

Induced Aggregation

SummaryWe investigated the comparative antithrombotic properties of clopidogrel, an analogue of ticlopidine, and aspirin, using the Folts' model on femoral arteries in 22 pigs. On each animal, clopidogrel or aspirin were used to treat the thrombotic process on the left femoral artery and to prevent this process on the right femoral artery. Sequentially: an injury and stenosis were carried out on the left femoral artery; the thrombotic process was monitored with a Doppler during a 30-min observation period for cyclic flow reductions or permanent cessation of flow; after the first cyclic flow reduction occurred, clopidogrel (5 mg kg-1) or aspirin (2.5, 5, 100 mg kg-1) were injected intravenously; if cyclic flow reductions were abolished, epinephrine (0.4 µg kg-1 min-1) was injected to try to restore cyclic flow reductions and/or permanent cessation of flow; then injury and stenosis were applied on the right femoral artery. Before and after injection of clopidogrel or aspirin, ear immersion bleeding times and ex-vivo platelet aggregation were performed. Clopidogrel (n = 7) abolished cyclic flow reductions in all animals and epinephrine did not restore any cyclic flow reduction. On the right femoral artery, cyclic flow reductions were efficiently prevented, even for two injuries. Basal bleeding time (5 min 28) was lengthened (>15 min, 30 min after clopidogrel and remained prolonged even after 24 h). ADP-induced platelet aggregation was inhibited (more than 78%). Comparatively, aspirin had a moderate and no dose-dependent effect. Aspirin 2.5 mg kg-1 (n = 6) abolished cyclic flow reductions in 2 animals, CFR reoccurred spontaneously in one animal and epinephrine restored it in a second animal. Aspirin 5 mg kg-1 (n = 6) abolished cyclic flow reductions in only 3 animals and epinephrine always restored it. Aspirin 100 mg kg-1 (n = 3) was unable to abolish cyclic flow reductions. On the right femoral artery, aspirin did not significantly prevent cyclic flow reductions which occurred in all animals after one (n = 14) or two injuries (n = 1), except for one animal. Basal bleeding time was lengthened but it shortened rapidly, reaching its basal value after 24 h. ADP-induced aggregation was not significantly inhibited, whereas arachidonic acid induced aggregation was always inhibited. Clopidogrel appears as a more potent antithrombotic drug than aspirin in this model, in treating and preventing spontaneous or epinephrine-induced cyclic flow reductions and lengthening bleeding time.

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