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Lautenbacher S, Salinas-Ranneberg M, Niebuhr O, et al. Phonetic characteristics of vocalizations during pain. Pain Rep. 2017;2(3):e597doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000597.
Lautenbacher, S., Salinas-Ranneberg, M., Niebuhr, O., & Kunz, M. (2017). Phonetic characteristics of vocalizations during pain. Pain reports, 2(3), e597. https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000597
Lautenbacher, Stefan, et al. "Phonetic characteristics of vocalizations during pain." Pain reports vol. 2,3 (2017): e597. doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000597
Lautenbacher S, Salinas-Ranneberg M, Niebuhr O, Kunz M. Phonetic characteristics of vocalizations during pain. Pain Rep. 2017 May;2(3):e597. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000597. Epub 2017 Apr 15. PMID: 29075677; PMCID: PMC5646576.
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Pain Rep. 2017 May;2(3):e597. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000597. Epub 2017 Apr 15.

Phonetic characteristics of vocalizations during pain.

Pain reports

Stefan Lautenbacher, Melissa Salinas-Ranneberg, Oliver Niebuhr, Miriam Kunz

Affiliations

  1. Physiological Psychology, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.
  2. Institute of Design and Communication, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
  3. Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 29075677 PMCID: PMC5646576 DOI: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000597

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: There have, yet, been only few attempts to phonetically characterize the vocalizations of pain, although there is wide agreement that moaning, groaning, or other nonverbal utterance can be indicative of pain. We studied the production of vowels "u," "a," "i", and "schwa" (central vowel, sounding like a darker "e" as in hesitations like "ehm")-as experimental approximations to natural vocalizations.

METHODS: In 50 students vowel production and self-report ratings were assessed during painful and nonpainful heat stimulation (hot water immersion) as well as during baseline (no-stimulation). The phonetic parameters extracted were pitch (mean F

RESULTS: Only for the vowels "u" and "schwa," which might be considered best approximations to moaning and groaning, did pitch and loudness increase during pain. Furthermore, changes from nonpainful to painful stimulations in these parameters also significantly predicted concurrent changes in pain ratings.

CONCLUSION: Vocalization characteristics of pain seem to be best described by an increase in pitch and in loudness. Future studies using more specific and comprehensive phonetic analyses will surely help to provide an even more precise characterization of vocalizations because of pain.

Keywords: Nociception; Nonverbal indicators; Pain; Thermoception; Vocalization

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