Saskovets Marina, Lohachov Mykhailo, Liang Zilu
Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University of Advanced Science (KUAS), 18 Yamanouchi Gotanda-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8577, Japan.
Institute of Science Tokyo, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, M1-14, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan.
Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2025 Jun 21;23:100309. doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2025.100309. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Sound is a powerful cue that can influence emotional and physiological states. While musical sounds have been widely studied for their stress-reducing effects, less attention has been given to the role of paralanguage. This study investigates whether a soothing vocal intonation beyond its semantic content can facilitate stress recovery by modulating neurophysiological and biochemical stress markers.
Thirty-five participants underwent a standardized stress induction task before being exposed to one of three conditions: a soothing voice narration, a robotic voice narration, or silence. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) hemodynamic activity was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), while stress biomarkers, including salivary cortisol and electrodermal activity (EDA), were measured at multiple time points. The Laterality Index Response (LIR) was computed to assess stress-related cortical asymmetry.
Stress induction significantly increased cortisol levels, EDA, and right-lateralized PFC activation across all groups. During the recovery phase, the soothing voice group demonstrated a significantly faster cortisol reduction compared to both control groups. fNIRS data revealed distinct PFC hemodynamic patterns, with the soothing voice condition shifting activation toward Brodmann areas 45 and 9. However, EDA recovery patterns did not differ significantly across groups.
These findings highlight the potential of paralanguage, specifically soothing voice intonation, in accelerating physiological stress recovery. The observed modulation of cortisol and PFC activity suggests that auditory interventions incorporating emotional prosody could enhance stress regulation strategies. Future research should explore individual differences in response to paralanguage-based interventions and their broader clinical applications.
声音是一种强大的线索，可影响情绪和生理状态。虽然音乐声音因其减压效果而受到广泛研究，但对副语言的作用关注较少。本研究调查了一种舒缓的语调在其语义内容之外，是否能通过调节神经生理和生化应激标志物来促进压力恢复。
35名参与者在接受标准化压力诱导任务后，被暴露于三种条件之一：舒缓的语音叙述、机器人语音叙述或沉默。使用功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）记录前额叶皮质（PFC）的血流动力学活动，同时在多个时间点测量应激生物标志物，包括唾液皮质醇和皮肤电活动（EDA）。计算偏侧性指数反应（LIR）以评估与压力相关的皮质不对称性。
压力诱导显著增加了所有组的皮质醇水平、EDA和右侧PFC激活。在恢复阶段，与两个对照组相比，舒缓语音组的皮质醇降低明显更快。fNIRS数据揭示了不同的PFC血流动力学模式，舒缓语音条件下的激活向布罗德曼区45和9转移。然而，各组之间的EDA恢复模式没有显著差异。
这些发现突出了副语言，特别是舒缓语调，在加速生理压力恢复方面的潜力。观察到的皮质醇和PFC活动调节表明，包含情感韵律的听觉干预可以增强压力调节策略。未来的研究应探索对基于副语言的干预的个体反应差异及其更广泛的临床应用。
