Exploring Bidirectional Associations Between Voice Acoustics and Objective Motor Metrics in Parkinson's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• Speech and motor control share neural pathways, but their interplay in Parkinson's disease (PD) is not fully understood.
• Quantitative relationships between vocal and motor impairments in PD require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate bidirectional associations between acoustic voice features and objective motor metrics in individuals with PD.
• To explore the shared sensorimotor control mechanisms underlying voice and motor function in PD.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of baseline data from 13 participants in a randomized neuromodulation trial for PD.
• Objective motor performance assessment using an Integrated Motion Analysis Suite (IMAS) for balance, gait, and limb tasks.
• Acoustic voice analysis including harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), jitter, shimmer, fundamental frequency (F0), and intensity.

Main Results:

• Faster motor performance and shorter movement durations correlated with clearer voice features (e.g., higher HNR).
• Clearer voice measures were associated with faster movement speeds and shorter movement durations.
• Significant bidirectional associations were observed between voice and motor measures in PD.

Conclusions:

• Voice and motor impairments in PD exhibit significant bidirectional relationships, indicating shared sensorimotor control.
• These findings support the use of integrated multimodal assessments for future longitudinal studies in PD.
• The study highlights the potential for voice analysis as a non-invasive marker for motor control deficits in PD.