Brainstem control of vocalization and its coordination with respiration. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38452069/)

These scientists wanted to understand how our vocal cords work when we speak or make sounds. They studied mice to learn more about the muscles in their throats that help them make sounds. They found a group of special nerve cells in the mice that are important for closing their vocal cords and making high-pitched sounds. These nerve cells can control how long the sounds are and how the mice breathe while making the sounds.

The scientists discovered that these nerve cells get signals from another part of the brain that helps with breathing. When the mice need to take a breath, this part of the brain stops the nerve cells from closing the vocal cords so they can breathe. If they stopped this signal, the mice had trouble coordinating their breathing with making sounds.

Overall, this study helped the scientists understand more about how our brains control speaking and breathing at the same time.

Park J., Choi S., Takatoh J., Zhao S., Harrahill A., Han BX., Wang F. Brainstem control of vocalization and its coordination with respiration. Science. 2024 Mar 8;383(6687):eadi8081. doi: 10.1126/science.adi8081. Epub 2024 Mar 8.