The fundamental frequencies of our own voice.

Abstract

Own actions send a corollary discharge (CD) signal, that is a copy of the planned motor programme, to sensory-specific brain areas to suppress the anticipated sensory response, providing a neural basis for the sense of self. When we speak, the sensory consequences of the fundamental frequency ( $f_{\text{0}}$ ) of our own voice, generated by vocal fold vibrations, are suppressed. However, due to bone/air conduction filtering effects, the $f_{\text{0}}$ we self-generate is measurably different from the $f_{\text{0}}$ we subjectively perceive as defining our own voice. Using an auditory change deafness paradigm, we parametrically tested the sensitivity to auditory change in the frequency neighbourhoods of objective and subjective own voice pitches and found that participants experience change deafness for both to a similar extent, relative to a control pitch condition. We conclude that when we listen attentively, we are likely to filter out small pitch changes in the vicinity of our own objective and subjective voice $f_{\text{0}}$ , possibly as a long-term consequence of speaking-induced suppression mechanisms integrated with individual, perceptual bodily priors.