Objectives: To determine heart rate influence on voice fundamental frequency under stress conditions.
Methods: In 14 healthy volunteers, heart rate and blood pressure variables were analyzed during three classical autonomic tasks. Sustained voice samples were obtained to analyze F0.
Results: Cold pressure test increased mean blood pressure, without effect on heart rate; isometric and mental tasks increased heart rate and blood pressure. Voice F0 was only affected by mental and cold ice tasks; it significantly correlated with the heart rate that occurred before and during every vocal emission.
Discussion: Cardiovascular changes showed that subjects were significantly stressed during autonomic tasks. Heartbeat variations had a regular and significant influence on phonatory frequency, and this effect occurred during baseline and stress conditions.