Fundamental Frequency of the Voice in Schizophrenia and Its Value as a Biomarker of the Disease

Recent research on schizophrenia seeks to identify objective biomarkers of the disease. The voice, and in particular the fundamental frequency (F0), could be one of them. We conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive study with a sample of 154 people. Of these, 46 were diagnosed with schizophrenia, 41 were at substance abuse, and 67 formed the control group, matched in variables of sex, age, and educational level, but without substance use compared with the high-risk group. The biomechanical analyses of the voice indicated significant differences between the groups, differentiated by gender: in men (F = 5.316; P = 0.006) and in women (F = 4.13; P = 0.004). The greatest differences between groups were observed in the group of vulnerable individuals, with some stability of the F0 in people with schizophrenia. Furthermore, we found correlations between positive symptoms and decreased F0 (r = −0.353; P = 0.016). Our study shows that schizophrenia is associated with decreased F0 in both men and women, and that medication could stabilize this decrease. These findings have important implications for the objective monitoring and diagnosis of schizophrenia.