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The human voice aligns with whole-body kinetics
Wim Pouw1,2, Raphael Werner1, Lara S Burchardt3
1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|May 20, 2025
Summary
Human vocalizations synchronize with arm movements, driven by muscle activity and whole-body forces. This study reveals a dynamic interplay between the motor system and voice production.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
- Speech Science
Background:
- Humans frequently vocalize while gesturing.
- Voice fluctuations are known to synchronize with upper limb movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the predictive role of postural muscle activity in voice fluctuations during arm movements.
- To explore the relationship between whole-body kinetics and vocalization.
Main Methods:
- Electromyography to measure muscle activity (pectoralis major, erector spinae).
- Kinematic analysis of upper limb movements.
- Measurement of ground-reaction forces.
- Vocalization analysis (intensity and tone).
- Experiment involving added upper limb mass (1 kg).
Main Results:
- Postural muscle activity, particularly in the pectoralis major and erector spinae, predicts voice fluctuations.
- Increased upper limb mass amplifies the interaction between muscle activity and voice.
- Ground-reaction forces correlate with postural muscles and covary with voice fluctuations under certain conditions.
- Voice co-patterns with whole-body kinetics, extending beyond kinematic interactions.
Conclusions:
- Human voicing is dynamically coupled with the whole-body motor system.
- Findings suggest that motor control of posture and limb movement influences vocal production.
- This research offers implications for biomechanical modeling of speech and gesture interaction.
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