Open AccessEmotional expressions in voice and music: Same code, same effect?
Author(s) -
Escoffier Nicolas,
Zhong Jidan,
Schirmer Annett,
Qiu Anqi
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.22029
Subject(s) - psychology , functional magnetic resonance imaging , precuneus , auditory cortex , cognitive psychology , anterior cingulate cortex , posterior cingulate , stimulus (psychology) , cuneus , hum , neuroscience , cognition , art , performance art , art history
Scholars have documented similarities in the way voice and music convey emotions. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we explored whether these similarities imply overlapping processing substrates. We asked participants to trace changes in either the emotion or pitch of vocalizations and music using a joystick. Compared to music, vocalizations more strongly activated superior and middle temporal cortex, cuneus, and precuneus. However, despite these differences, overlapping rather than differing regions emerged when comparing emotion with pitch tracing for music and vocalizations, respectively. Relative to pitch tracing, emotion tracing activated medial superior frontal and anterior cingulate cortex regardless of stimulus type. Additionally, we observed emotion specific effects in primary and secondary auditory cortex as well as in medial frontal cortex that were comparable for voice and music. Together these results indicate that similar mechanisms support emotional inferences from vocalizations and music and that these mechanisms tap on a general system involved in social cognition. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.