Exploring Bidirectional Associations Between Voice Acoustics and Objective Motor Metrics in Parkinson's Disease.
Exploring Bidirectional Associations Between Voice Acoustics and Objective Motor Metrics in Parkinson's Disease.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Cambridge, US · Author affiliation
Neuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, 1575 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.Location evidence
São Carlos, BR · Author affiliation
Laboratory of Neuroscience and Neurological Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy Department, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, km 235, São Carlos 13506-900, SP, Brazil.Location evidence
São Paulo, BR · Author affiliation
Faculty of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, 455, Sao Paulo 05508-090, SP, Brazil.Location evidence
Chicago, US · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, 912 S Wood St., Room 174N, MC 796, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.Location evidence
Rome, IT · Author affiliation
Department of Life and Health Science, Link University, 00100 Rome, Italy.Location evidence
US · Author affiliation · country only
Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55901, USA.Location evidence
Isla Vista, US · Author affiliation
Mindpath College Health, 948 Embarcadero del Norte #102, Isla Vista, CA 93117, USA.Location evidence
Worcester, US · Author affiliation
Neurology Department, UMass Memorial, UMass Chan Medical School, 67 Belmont St., Worcester, MA 01605, USA.Location evidence
A plain-language reading has not been prepared for this paper yet.
Original abstract
Background/Objectives: Speech and motor control share overlapping neural mechanisms, yet their quantitative relationships in Parkinson's disease (PD) remain underexplored. This study investigated bidirectional associations between acoustic voice features and objective motor metrics to better understand how vocal and motor systems relate in PD. Methods: Cross-sectional baseline data from participants in a randomized neuromodulation trial were analyzed (n = 13). Motor performance was captured using an Integrated Motion Analysis Suite (IMAS), which enabled quantitative, objective characterization of motor performance during balance, gait, and upper- and lower-limb tasks. Acoustic analyses included harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), jitter, shimmer, median fundamental frequency (F0), F0 standard deviation (SD F0), and voice intensity. Univariate linear regressions were conducted in both directions (voice ↔ motor), as well as partial correlations controlling for PD motor symptom severity. Results: When modeling voice outcomes, faster motor performance and shorter movement durations were associated with acoustically clearer voice features (e.g., higher elbow flexion-extension peak speed with higher voice HNR, β = 8.5, R2 = 0.56, p = 0.01). Similarly, when modeling motor outcomes, clearer voice measures were linked with faster movement speed and shorter movement durations (e.g., higher voice HNR with higher peak movement speed in elbow flexion/extension, β = 0.07, R2 = 0.56, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Voice and motor measures in PD showed significant bidirectional associations, suggesting shared sensorimotor control. These exploratory findings, while limited by sample size, support the feasibility of integrated multimodal assessment for future longitudinal studies.