Neural correlates of embodied and vibratory mechanisms associated with vocal emotion production

Abstract

AbstractDespite a large body of literature on the psychological and brain mechanisms of vocal emotion perception, less is known on expression and production mechanisms, especially the vibrations originating in the vocal cords and their role in emotional voice production. In the present study, we aimed to fill this gap. Participants had to produce angry, happy and neutral emotional vocalizations in different production conditions (‘normal’, ‘whisper’, ‘articulate’). An accelerometer recorded the vibrations on the throat, close to the vocal folds. Results showed effects of the Emotion factor with activations in the bilateral temporal voice areas, the inferior frontal gyri as well as motor and supplementary motor areas. The Production factor and its interaction with Emotion revealed significant effects in motor, somatosensory cortices, insula and inferior frontal cortex. Exploratory analysis of the brain correlates of emotional vocal tract vibrations specific to ‘normal’ voice production showed significant correlations with brain regions involved in interoceptive processing (insula, inferior frontal cortex, cerebellum). Our results highlight the crucial role of vibro-tactile body resonances in vocal emotion production that might play an important role for the interoceptive phenomena involved in the representation of our own emotions such as in emergent feelings related to emotional vocal production.