Vocal communication of simulated pain

While evidence suggests that pain cries produced by human babies and other mammal infants communicate acoustic cues to pain intensity, whether the pain vocalisations of human adults also encode pain intensity, and which acoustic characteristics influence listeners’ perceptions, remains unexplored. Here, we investigated how trained actors communicated pain by comparing the acoustic characteristics of nonverbal vocalisations expressing different levels of pain intensity (mild, moderate, and severe). We then performed playback experiments to examine whether vocalisers successfully communicated pain intensity to listeners, and which acoustic characteristics were responsible for variation in pain ratings. We found that the mean and range of voice fundamental frequency (F0, perceived as pitch), the amplitude of the vocalisation, the degree of periodicity of the vocalisation, and the proportion of the signal displaying nonlinear phenomena all increased with the level of simulated pain intensity. In turn, these parameters predicted increases in listeners’ ratings of pain intensity. We also found that while different voice features contributed to increases in pain ratings within each level of expressed pain, a combination of these features explained an impressive amount of the variance in listeners’ pain ratings, both across (76%) and within (31-54%) pain levels. Our results show that adult vocalisers can volitionally simulate and modulate pain vocalisations to influence listeners’ perceptions of pain in a manner consistent with authentic human infant and nonhuman mammal pain vocalisations, and highlight potential for the development of a practical quantitative tool to improve pain assessment in populations unable to self-report their subjective pain experience

Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications

The International Workshop on Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications (MAVEBA) came into being in 1999 from the particularly felt need of sharing know-how, objectives and results between areas that until then seemed quite distinct such as bioengineering, medicine and singing. MAVEBA deals with all aspects concerning the study of the human voice with applications ranging from the neonate to the adult and elderly. Over the years the initial issues have grown and spread also in other aspects of research such as occupational voice disorders, neurology, rehabilitation, image and video analysis. MAVEBA takes place every two years always in Firenze, Italy

Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications

The MAVEBA Workshop proceedings, held on a biannual basis, collect the scientific papers presented both as oral and poster contributions, during the conference. The main subjects are: development of theoretical and mechanical models as an aid to the study of main phonatory dysfunctions, as well as the biomedical engineering methods for the analysis of voice signals and images, as a support to clinical diagnosis and classification of vocal pathologies

Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications

The MAVEBA Workshop proceedings, held on a biannual basis, collect the scientific papers presented both as oral and poster contributions, during the conference. The main subjects are: development of theoretical and mechanical models as an aid to the study of main phonatory dysfunctions, as well as the biomedical engineering methods for the analysis of voice signals and images, as a support to clinical diagnosis and classification of vocal pathologies

Models and analysis of vocal emissions for biomedical applications

This book of Proceedings collects the papers presented at the 3rd International Workshop on Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications, MAVEBA 2003, held 10-12 December 2003, Firenze, Italy. The workshop is organised every two years, and aims to stimulate contacts between specialists active in research and industrial developments, in the area of voice analysis for biomedical applications. The scope of the Workshop includes all aspects of voice modelling and analysis, ranging from fundamental research to all kinds of biomedical applications and related established and advanced technologies

Models and analysis of vocal emissions for biomedical applications: 5th International Workshop: December 13-15, 2007, Firenze, Italy

The MAVEBA Workshop proceedings, held on a biannual basis, collect the scientific papers presented both as oral and poster contributions, during the conference. The main subjects are: development of theoretical and mechanical models as an aid to the study of main phonatory dysfunctions, as well as the biomedical engineering methods for the analysis of voice signals and images, as a support to clinical diagnosis and classification of vocal pathologies. The Workshop has the sponsorship of: Ente Cassa Risparmio di Firenze, COST Action 2103, Biomedical Signal Processing and Control Journal (Elsevier Eds.), IEEE Biomedical Engineering Soc. Special Issues of International Journals have been, and will be, published, collecting selected papers from the conference

Magel2 and Hypothalamic POMC Neuron Modulation of Infant Mice Isolation-Induced Vocalizations

Abstract The proper development of infant mammals depends on infant vocalization. Infants vocalize (i.e., cry) when isolated from their caregivers, attracting their attention to receive nurture. Impaired vocal behavior can lead to maternal neglect and even death in some species. Similar to humans and other mammals, infant mice vocalize upon isolation from their nest and decrease vocalizations when reunited with their mother or littermates. Mouse pups vocalize above the human audible range, emitting ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). My thesis investigated the effects of the imprinted gene, Magel2, on mouse vocal behavior (Chapter 2; published in Genes, Brain, and Behavior) and also identified a population of neurons in the hypothalamus that modulate vocal behavior (Chapter 3; unpublished). Magel2 (or MAGEL2 in humans) is a paternal imprint gene and its loss of function is associated with atypical behaviors seen in autism spectrum disorders and in Prader-Willi Syndrome. In Chapter 2, I report the study of the emission of ultrasonic vocalizations by Magel2 deficient pups during their early postnatal development. I recorded and analyzed vocalizations from Magel2 deficient pups and their wildtype littermates during isolation from the home nest at postnatal days 6-12. I describe my findings showing that Magel2 deficient pups present a lower rate of vocalizations and altered vocal repertoire compared to wildtype littermates. Moreover, these results correlate with altered behavior of the dam towards their own pups: dams prefer to retrieve their wildtype offspring compared to their Magel2 deficient offspring. These results suggest that Magel2 affects the expression of infant vocalizations and also modulates the expression of maternal behaviors. In Chapter 3, I describe my discovery of a population of neurons in the mammalian hypothalamus that modulate the emission of ultrasonic vocalizations in mouse pups. The brain opioid theory of social attachment postulates that pups release opioids in the brain during caretaking behaviors, which reinforces the attachment bond between pups and caretakers. From the three main receptors known to bind different types of endogenous opioids, μ-opioid receptors (ORPM1) are thought to be important in the modulation of attachment behaviors and, consequently, emission of vocalizations. Whether endogenous opioids act on ORPM1-expressing cells to modulate vocalizations is unknow. Since the opioid with highest affinity for ORPM1 is β-endorphin, I determined the contribution of neurons that produce β-endorphin—POMC neurons—in infant vocalizations. Using genetic, chemogenomic, and pharmacogenetic approaches, my results show that mice deficient for β-endorphin vocalize more than controls, an effect that is mimicked by a pharmacological blocker of opioid receptors, naloxone. Importantly, naloxone fails to increase vocalizations in β-endorphin deficient pups. Moreover, using chemogenetics, activation of POMC neurons in the hypothalamus suppresses the emission of vocalizations, while ablation of these neurons increased the number of vocalizations. Finally, I show that activation of POMC neurons in mice deficient for the Orpm1 does not suppress the emission of vocalizations. Together, the results in Chapter 3 suggest that the emission of infant vocalizations is modulated by POMC neurons in the hypothalamus via the release of beta-endorphin that signals in downstream mu-opioid receptors. In sum, this dissertation reports novel findings on the effect of the Magel2 gene and of hypothalamic POMC neurons in the modulation of infant vocalization. As we learn more about the physiological and neuronal responses to distress that occurs in infants, we will more accurately understand the mechanisms involved in the affective emotional states that contribute to the normal and pathological development of infants

Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications

The Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions with Biomedical Applications (MAVEBA) workshop came into being in 1999 from the particularly felt need of sharing know-how, objectives and results between areas that until then seemed quite distinct such as bioengineering, medicine and singing. MAVEBA deals with all aspects concerning the study of the human voice with applications ranging from the neonate to the adult and elderly. Over the years the initial issues have grown and spread also in other aspects of research such as occupational voice disorders, neurology, rehabilitation, image and video analysis. MAVEBA takes place every two years always in Firenze, Italy

Acoustic Correlates and Adult Perceptions of Distress in Infant Speech-Like Vocalizations and Cries

Prior research has not evaluated acoustic features contributing to perception of human infant vocal distress or lack thereof on a continuum. The present research evaluates perception of infant vocalizations along a continuum ranging from the most prototypical intensely distressful cry sounds (“wails”) to the most prototypical of infant sounds that typically express no distress (non-distress “vocants”). Wails are deemed little if at all related to speech while vocants are taken to be clear precursors to speech. We selected prototypical exemplars of utterances representing the whole continuum from 0 and 1 month-olds. In this initial study of the continuum, our goals are to determine (1) listener agreement on level of vocal distress across the continuum, (2) acoustic parameters predicting ratings of distress, (3) the extent to which individual listeners maintain or change their acoustic criteria for distress judgments across the study, (4) the extent to which different listeners use similar or different acoustic criteria to make judgments, and (5) the role of short-term experience among the listeners in judgments of infant vocalization distress. Results indicated that (1) both inter-rater and intra-rater listener agreement on degree of vocal distress was high, (2) the best predictors of vocal distress were number of vibratory regimes within utterances, utterance duration, spectral ratio (spectral concentration) in vibratory regimes within utterances, and mean pitch, (3) individual listeners significantly modified their acoustic criteria for distress judgments across the 10 trial blocks, (4) different listeners, while showing overall similarities in ratings of the 42 stimuli, also showed significant differences in acoustic criteria used in assigning the ratings of vocal distress, and (5) listeners who were both experienced and inexperienced in infant vocalizations coding showed high agreement in rating level of distress, but differed in the extent to which they relied on the different acoustic cues in making the ratings. The study provides clearer characterization of vocal distress expression in infants based on acoustic parameters and a new perspective on active adult perception of infant vocalizations. The results also highlight the importance of vibratory regime segmentation and analysis in acoustically based research on infant vocalizations and their perception

Models and analysis of vocal emissions for biomedical applications

This book of Proceedings collects the papers presented at the 4th International Workshop on Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications, MAVEBA 2005, held 29-31 October 2005, Firenze, Italy. The workshop is organised every two years, and aims to stimulate contacts between specialists active in research and industrial developments, in the area of voice analysis for biomedical applications. The scope of the Workshop includes all aspects of voice modelling and analysis, ranging from fundamental research to all kinds of biomedical applications and related established and advanced technologies