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Purpose: To study the effect of guided music management strategies on the psychological state of college students of science and technology during their graduation reply. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the relevant data of 107 college students of science and technology who underwent graduation defense in 2022. These students returned to school 1 week before their graduation reply. On the basis of whether they received guided music management strategies, the students were divided into a control group (no management strategy) and an observation group (received guided music management strategies). Among the students, 50 were included in the observation group after excluding two who did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 53 students were included in the control group after excluding 2 who did not meet the inclusion criteria. General demographic information and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) scores were collected. Results: No significant differences in SAS, TAS and CPSS scores were found between the two groups before management (P > 0.05). After management, the SAS score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The TAS and CPSS scores of the observation group after management were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Implementing guided music management strategies can effectively alleviate anxiety and stress in college students of science and technology during their graduation reply and has a certain utility and promotion value.

Background: High levels of environmental noise may lead to psychological symptoms. The present study has hypothesized that personal listening device (PLD) use and a negative attitude to noise are significantly related to anxiety and/or depression. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 431 six-grade students (35% male) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade. All students completed the questionnaires related to socio-demographic data, noise/music exposure habits, behaviors related to PLD use, tinnitus, headaches, consumption of alcohol, coffee, energy drinks and cigarettes, YANS (Youth Attitude to Noise Scale), CES-D (The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression), and GAD–7 (Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment − 7 item scale) questionnaires. Results: There were 396 (91.9%) of investigated students who used PLD, with more frequent use among girls compared to boys (95.0% and 86.8%, respectively; p = 0.002). We found no significant relationship between the frequency of PLD use and depression and anxiety. However, continuous daily PLD use longer than 1 hour was significantly and positively related to depression (p = 0.006). Students with depression had a lower total YANS score compared to those without depression, indicating a more negative attitude toward noise (p = 0.042). Students with no difficulties to concentrate in noise and with a positive attitude to daily noises had about 37% lower chance to suffer from depression and anxiety, respectively. Conclusions: PLD use is common among medical students and may be associated with their mental health. Longer than 1 hour of continuous daily use of PLD may be positively related to depression. We also found a significant relationship between difficulties concentrating in noisy environments and depression, and between negative attitudes to daily noises and anxiety.

Background: Although it is known that sound exposure evokes changes in autonomic activity, the effects of noise and music on the nonlinear behavior of heart rate fluctuations remain poorly understood and controversial. This study aims to assess the influence of sound subjective emotional valence and arousal on the nonlinear characteristics of the autonomic nervous system during passive listening. Methods: In this study, 42 subjects listened to four sounds: (1) white noise, (2) road traffic noise, (3) excitatory music, and (4) a lullaby. The experiment consisted of two consecutive sessions: 5 minutes of rest, followed by 5 minutes of listening. RR intervals were recorded during both sessions. The following linear and nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) indices were computed: Standard deviation of NN (SDNN), The root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD), F, high frequency (HF), approximate entropy (ApEn) and sample entropy (SampEn), correlation dimension (D2), Poincaré plot indices (SD1, SD2), fractal scaling exponents (alpha1, alpha2), and recurrence plot indices (mean line length [Lmean], maximum line length [Lmax], determinism [DET], laminarity [LAM], maximal vertical length [Vmax], trapping time [TT], Shannon entropy of line length distribution [ShanEn]). Results: Excitatory music was associated with a significant decrease in SDNN (from 47.3 ± 3.59 to 38.31 ± 3.16, P < 0.01), RMSSD (from 51.07 ± 4.75 to 42.53 ± 3.9, P < 0.05), HF (from 1516.26 ± 245.74 to 884.07 ± 183.44, P < 0.001), and low frequency (LF; from 973.33 ± 176.09 to 760.28 ± 150.35, P < 0.05). Excitatory music exposure induced significant increases in DET (P < 0.01), SD1 (P < 0.05), and SD2 (P < 0.05), but changes in detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), SampEn, and D2 were nonsignificant. Traffic noise, white noise, and the lullaby did not cause significant changes in the measures of HRV. Conclusion: Presentation of excitatory music that evokes strong negative emotions elicits a prominent decrease in respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Poincaré plot and recurrence plot measures possess high sensitivity to excitatory music. Contrary to previous studies, we did not find the effects of relaxing music on HRV.

Objective: Hearing aids are more and more technically advanced, but do not necessarily guarantee the reproduction of useful signals in all working environments. This is particularly the case for speech intelligibility. This study focuses on the prediction of hearing aid performance in the case of a moderate deafness setting, in service and industrial work environments. To improve intelligibility, hearing aids propose signal processing options such as noise reduction and compression. These processes can transform hearing aids into nonlinear systems. The aim of this study is to develop a nonlinear method for the characterization of hearing aids. Materials and Methods: The method is based on the synchronized swept sine (SSS) signal method.[16] The SSS method is applied for determining hearing aid frequency responses fitted according to the present methodology and several processing options. The characterization of hearing aid’s program containing the noise reduction function is specifically analyzed. Indeed, to be fully active and efficient, the hearing aid, with the noise reduction feature activated, needs to be immersed in a noisy environment which does not allow nonlinear characterization. A linear approach is taken to study this feature. Three hearing aids commonly sold by hearing care professionals are studied here; all of them have three different programs. The characterization for each program is discussed. Results: The statistical study showed that the intelligibility, assessed using the speech transmission index in these sound environments, is well estimated for every program, although certain differences are observed when the compression effect is too high in the service work sector. Conclusion: The characterizations of hearing aids using the programs studied did not highlight the presence of frequency nonlinearities. The characterization method could not take into account amplitude nonlinearities when there is too much gain compression in the hearing process. Globally, all the hearing aid programs provided a very significant improvement in intelligibility in service and industrial work contexts.

Objective: To explore the association of lifestyles, caspase gene (CASP), and noise kurtosis with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Design: Three hundred seven NIHL individuals and 307 matched controls from factories in Chinese factories participated in this case–control study. Age, sex, noise exposure, exfoliated oral mucosa cells, and lifestyles of participants were gathered by the authors. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using the Kompetitive Allele Specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) method. Results: The risk of NIHL was higher for people who worked in the complex noise environment than for people exposed to steady noise environment (adjusted: OR = 1.806, P = 0.002). Smoking and regular earphone use increased the risk of NIHL (adjusted: OR = 1.486, P = 0.038). The GG genotype of the recessive model and G allele in rs1049216, together with the TT genotype of the recessive model in rs6948 decreased the NIHL risk (adjusted: OR = 0.659, P = 0.017). Oppositely, the AA genotype of additive model in rs12415607 had a higher NIHL risk (adjusted: OR = 1.804, P = 0.024). In the additive models, there was a positive interaction between noise kurtosis and CASP3 polymorphisms (RERI = 1.294, P = 0.013; RERI = 1.198, P = 0.031). Conclusions: Noise kurtosis, three SNPs (rs1049216, rs6948, and rs12415607), smoking and earphone use were found to be related to NIHL, and there was a positive interaction between noise kurtosis and CASP3. Results from this study can be used to prevent and detect NIHL and for genetic testing.

Purpose: Noise exposure in preschools is cited as one of the main stresses by preschool teachers in surveys worldwide. Hearing-related symptoms as well as physiological stress reactions are often mentioned in this context. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate whether the noise has an impact on the cardiovascular activity of the preschool teachers. Methods: The study took place in nine private preschools in Vienna. In the classrooms of 23 preschool teachers stationary noise recordings were conducted and the participants were equipped with 24-hour electrocardiograms (ECGs). Questionnaires on noise-related stress, well-being, stress perception, burnout risk, noise annoyance, and noise sensitivity were provided. Data were described descriptively and correlations and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with repeated measures were performed. Results: The average sound pressure level in the classrooms during the first four hours was LAeq 74.7 dB(A) (standard deviation [SD] = 1.74). A significant correlation between heart rate and sound pressure level (LAeq,4 h) was found, r = 0.40, P = 0.04 (one-tailed). Noise sensitivity and noise annoyance showed no effect. With increasing sound level classes [≤65 dB(A), 66–75 dB(A), 76–85 dB(A)], the heart rate increased significantly, and the heart rate variability decreased significantly. It was also found that tolerating noise becomes more difficult with increasing length of employment and increasing age. Conclusion: The noise level in classrooms showed an impact on the cardiovascular activity of preschool teachers, which can be considered as an indicator of stress. Measures to reduce noise in preschools are recommended.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether occupational noise exposure is a risk factor for insomnia among male night-shift production workers. Methods: This study followed 623 male night-shift production workers at a tire manufacturing factory without insomnia for 4 years. Insomnia was evaluated based on the insomnia severity index at baseline and at 4-year follow-up. A score of ≥15 was defined as insomnia. The higher occupational noise exposure group was defined as those individuals exposed to 8-hour time-weighted-average noise above 80 dB (A). Results: Participants’ mean age was 46.3 ± 5.6 years. Of the 623 participants, 362 (58.1%) were in the higher occupational noise exposure group. At 4-year follow-up, insomnia occurred in 3.2% (n = 20) of the participants. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio of insomnia was 3.36 (95% confidence interval 1.083–10.405, P = 0.036) in the higher occupational noise exposure group when compared with the lower noise exposure group after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that occupational noise exposure affected insomnia in male night-shift production workers. To prevent insomnia, efforts are required to reduce workplace noise exposure levels. Alternatively, moving to a less noisy work environment should be considered for workers with severe insomnia.

Context: The use of personal listening devices (PLDs) is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among young people. Numerous studies have demonstrated that being exposed to PLDs can have adverse effects on the auditory system. Owing to the similarities between the auditory and vestibular systems, it is possible that the negative effects of PLD use may extend to the vestibular system, an area that has not been extensively studied. Aim: The study aimed to investigate the impact of exposure to PLDs on the vestibular system, specifically the sacculo-collic reflex assessed by the cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential. Settings and Design: The current study used a cross-sectional study design. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 participants were divided into four groups based on the history of PLD exposure. Each group consisted of 20 participants who underwent cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) testing using alternating polarity 500 Hz tone bursts. Statistical Analysis Used: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to obtain the statistically significant difference among the group. Results: The results showed that the amplitude of p1-n1 of cVEMP was significantly reduced in individuals with longer PLD exposure duration. Conclusion: The study suggests that listening to music through a PLD at high levels of volume controls could be deleterious to the vestibular well-being of an individual. The study highlights the importance of being aware of the adverse effects of using PLDs to prevent potential damage to the vestibular systems.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the correlation between the degree of hearing loss (HL) and the degrees of anxiety and depression in patients with tinnitus. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved the use of basic clinical data from 600 enrolled patients with tinnitus who visited the otolaryngology clinic in Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from April 2020 to June 2022. The tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) scale was used to assess the tinnitus status among the participants. The pure tone audiometry (PTA) test was used to conduct audiological assessments for all patients to determine their hearing condition. The self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to assess the levels of anxiety and depression among the participants, respectively. The correlation between the HL and anxiety/depression scores from the questionnaires was tested through Pearson correlation analysis. Results: Among the 600 enrolled patients with tinnitus, most patients had mild-to-moderate degree of tinnitus, accounting for 248 cases (41.3%) and 179 cases (29.8%), respectively. PTA results showed that a large proportion of patients with tinnitus were accompanied with HL (467 cases, 77.8%). Among them, patients with mild HL accounted for the largest proportion with a total of 241 cases (40.2%). Based on the results of SAS and SDS test, almost half of the patients had symptoms of anxiety and depression, accounting for 52.3% (314 cases) and 48.8% (293 cases), respectively. Similarly, patients with mild anxiety and depression occupy the largest proportion, accounting for 35.8% (215 cases) and 23% (138 cases), respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the degree of HL was closely related to THI/SAS/SDS scores (P < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate a strong positive correlation between the degree of HL and anxiety/depression scores in patients with tinnitus.

Background: Due to the socio-cultural differences between China and other countries, which may affect the development of an individual’s personality and behavior, it is necessary to explore the relationship between personality traits and tinnitus distress in the context of China’s socio-cultural background. Methods: The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short Scale Chinese version were used to explore the influence of personality traits on tinnitus distress in Chinese patients with tinnitus. Results: The results were not entirely consistent with previous studies from other countries. First, extroversion was significantly higher in patients with bothersome tinnitus, both in acute and chronic conditions. Second, the personality traits that affected the patients with bothersome tinnitus were different in different conditions. Finally, the tridimensional personality structure, high psychoticism / normal extroversion / normal neuroticism, was significantly higher in people with bothersome tinnitus. Furthermore, the difference became more obvious with a prolonged disease course. Conclusions: This study suggested that the relationship between personality traits and tinnitus distress in Chinese patients with tinnitus was not the same as in other countries. “High psychoticism / normal extroversion / normal neuroticism” may be a risk factor for chronic bothersome tinnitus in China.

Purpose: The objective of the current study was to describe outcomes on physiological and perceptual measures of auditory function in human listeners with and without a history of recreational firearm noise exposure related to hunting. Design: This study assessed the effects of hunting-related recreational firearm noise exposure on audiometric thresholds, oto-acoustic emissions (OAEs), brainstem neural representation of fundamental frequency (F0) in frequency following responses (FFRs), tonal middle-ear muscle reflex (MEMR) thresholds, and behavioral tests of auditory processing in 20 young adults with normal hearing sensitivity. Results: Performance on both physiological (FFR, MEMR) and perceptual (behavioral auditory processing tests) measures of auditory function were largely similar across participants, regardless of hunting-related recreational noise exposure. On both behavioral and neural measures including different listening conditions, performance degraded as difficulty of listening condition increased for both nonhunter and hunter participants. A right-ear advantage was observed in tests of dichotic listening for both nonhunter and hunter participants. Conclusion: The null results in the current study could reflect an absence of cochlear synaptopathy in the participating cohort, variability related to participant characteristics and/or test protocols, or an insensitivity of the selected physiological and behavioral auditory measures to noise-induced synaptopathy.

Objectives: Noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy is studied extensively in animal models. The diagnosis of synaptopathy in humans is challenging and the roles of many noninvasive measures in identifying synaptopathy are being explored. The acoustic middle ear muscle reflex (MEMR) can be considered as a vital tool since noise exposure affects the low-spontaneous rate fibers that play an important role in elicitation of MEMR. The present study aimed at measuring MEMR threshold and MEMR strength. Design: The study participants were divided into two groups. All the participants had normal-hearing thresholds. The control group consisted of 25 individuals with no occupational noise exposure whereas noise exposure group had 25 individuals who were exposed to occupational noise of 85 dBA for a minimum period of 1 year. MEMR threshold and strength was assessed for pure tones (500 Hz and 1000 Hz) and broadband noise. Results: The results showed that the MEMR threshold was similar in both the groups. MEMR strength was reduced in noise exposure group compared to control group. Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that MEMR strength could be used as a sensitive measure in identifying cochlear synaptopathy with careful consideration of the stimulus characteristics.

Road traffic is the major source of noise pollution leading to human health impacts in urban areas. This study presents the relation between changes in human brain waves due to road traffic noise exposure in heterogeneous conditions. The results are based on Electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected from 12 participants through a listening experience of traffic scenarios at 14 locations in New Delhi, India. Energetic, spectral and temporal characteristics of the noise signals are presented. The impact of noise events on spectral perturbations and changes in the relative power (RP) of EEG signals are evaluated. Traffic noise variations modulate the rate of change in α and θ EEG bands of temporal, parietal and frontal lobe of the brain. The magnitude of event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) increases with each instantaneous increase in traffic noise, such as honking. Individual noise events impact the temporal lobe more significantly in quieter locations compared with noisy locations. Increase in loudness changes the RP of α band in frontal lobe. Increase in temporal variation due to intermittent honking increases the RP of θ bands, especially in right parietal and frontal lobe. Change in sharpness leads to variation in the RP of right parietal lobe in theta band. Whereas, inverse relation is observed between roughness and the RP of right temporal lobe in gamma band. A statistical relationship between noise indicators and EEG response is established.

Purpose: Exposure to noise has been related to aggressive behavior. As hospital noise may affect nursing students’ psycho-physiological health due to their inexperience, it ;1;is important to investigate possible violent tendencies among them. Since no similar research has been found in the literature, a study has been conducted to investigate the relationship between noise sensitivity and violence tendencies among nursing students. Methods: The design of this study was cross-sectional. There were 260 nursing students (61% female) aged 18 to 24 years who filled out the Personal Information Form, Weinstein’s Noise Sensitivity scale, and Violence Tendency scale. We investigated the distribution of students’ noise sensitivity and violence tendencies scores in relation to age, gender, grade, and place of residence. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the noise sensitivity score and possible confounders as independent variables and the severity tendency score as a dependent variable. Results: We found smoking to be significantly and positively associated with both noise sensitivity and violent tendencies (P

Background: Transportation noise seems to impair self-reported health status (SRHS). However, only a few studies have considered the role of noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in this deleterious effect. This study aims investigating mediator and moderator roles of noise annoyance and noise sensitivity. Methods: In 2013, the DEBATS longitudinal study included 1244 participants aged over 18 years and living around three French airports. These participants were followed up in 2015 and 2017. They self-reported their perceived health status, aircraft noise annoyance, and their noise sensitivity via a questionnaire during the three visits. Noise maps were used to estimate aircraft noise levels at the facade of participants’ residence. Generalized linear mixed models with a random intercept at the participant level were used. Results: Aircraft noise levels were associated with severe annoyance. Severe annoyance tent to be associated with impaired SRHS. Aircraft noise levels were associated with impaired SRHS only in men (odds ratio [OR] = 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.02, 2.11], for a 10-dBA Lden increase in aircraft noise levels) with a weaker association adjusted for annoyance (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = [0.94, 1.98]). The association was stronger in men who reported high noise sensitivity (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = [0.92, 3.70], versus OR = 1.39, 95% CI = [0.90, 2.14], for men who were not highly sensitive to noise). Conclusion: From our results, the deleterious effect of aircraft noise on SRHS could be mediated by noise annoyance and moderated by noise sensitivity. Further studies using causal inference methods are needed for identifying causal effect of exposure, mediator, and moderator.

Objective: The goal is to implement the developed speech material in a hearing test to assess auditory fitness for duty (AFFD), specifically in areas where the intelligibility of spoken commands is essential. Design: In study 1, a speech corpus with equal intelligibility was constructed using constant stimuli to test each target word’s psychometric functions. Study 2 used an adaptive interleaving procedure to maximize equalized terms. Study 3 used Monte Carlo simulations to determine speech test accuracy. Study sample: Study 1 (n = 24) and study 2 (n = 20) were completed by civilians with normal hearing. Study 3 ran 10,000 simulations per condition across various conditions varying in slopes and speech recognition thresholds (SRTs). Results: Studies 1 and 2 produced three 8-word wordlists. The mean, standard deviation in dB SNR is −13.1 1.2 for wordlist 1, −13.7 1.6 for wordlist 2, and −13.7 1.3 for wordlist 3, with word SRTs within 3.4 dB SNR. Study 3 revealed that a 6 dB SNR range is appropriate for equally understandable speech using a closed-set adaptive technique. Conclusion: The developed speech corpus may be used in an AFFD measure. Concerning the homogeneity of the speech in noise test material, care should be taken when generalizing and using ranges and standard deviations from multiple tests.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare noise sensitivity (NS) in schizophrenic individuals with/without hallucinations and healthy individuals. Procedure: A retrospective (causal–comparative) study was conducted in three groups: (i) A group of individuals with schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations (14 participants), (ii) a group of schizophrenic individuals without auditory hallucinations (14 participants) selected by purposive sampling and (iii) a control group (19 participants) selected by convenience sampling. Schutte’s Noise Sensitivity Questionnaire was used to measure NS. Analysis of Variance and Kruskal–Wallis tests were applied to compare the three groups. All the analyses were done using SPSS-20. Results: ANOVA results indicated that the groups were significantly different in terms of NS (p

Background: This study evaluated the effects of chronic exposure to aircraft noise on the cognitive functions of Korean elementary school students attending an elementary school around a military airfield and clarified the relationship between noise exposure and cognitive functions. Methods: Five schools with average weight equivalent continuous perceived noise levels (WECPNL) of ≥75 dB were selected from four regions in Korea. Each of these schools was matched with a non-exposed school. The Korean Intelligence Test Primary (KIT-P) was used to measure the scores of four subcategories and the intelligence quotient (IQ). The noise exposure groups were divided into high-exposure (WECPNL ≥ 80 dB) and medium-exposure (75 ≤ WECPNL

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of subjectively assessed hearing impairment on cognitive function in elderly Koreans living in the community. Methods: In the 2020 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons Survey, 9920 subjects (5949 females; 60%) aged 65 or more years were examined. Using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE-KC), cognitive function was evaluated. To investigate the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive status, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed with adjustment for multiple confounding variables (socioeconomic, health behavior, psychological factors, and functional status). There were 2297 participants in the hearing impairment group (23.2%) and 7623 subjects in the no-hearing impairment group. Results: Cognitive impairment was significantly higher in the hearing impairment group (37.2%) compared to the no-hearing impairment group (27.5%). After adjusting for confounders, hearing impairment was significantly associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline (odds ratio [OR] 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.35) compared to no-hearing impairment group. Conclusions: Although a cross-cectional design of this study does not allow a causal reasoning, our findings show a significant association between the hearing loss of older adults and their cognitive impairment. Hearing impairment should be regarded as a risk factor for cognitive disorders.

Purpose: Exposure to noise can cause damage to both auditory and vestibular systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate how noise exposure affects the hearing and vestibular systems in individuals with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Methods: This study included 80 subjects (40 subjects with NIHL, and 40 controls), between 26 and 59 years old. For hearing assessment, pure-tone audiometry, extended high-frequency audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex threshold, and distortion product otoacoustic emission tests were used; for vestibular assessment, the cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials tests were used. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in 3 to 6 kHz frequency thresholds; in extended high-frequency audiometry tests, there were also significant differences between groups at all frequencies from 9.5 to 16 kHz. The cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials thresholds were significantly higher and N1-P1 amplitudes were significantly lower in the NIHL group. Conclusion: Noise can lead to damage to both auditory and vestibular functions. Therefore, audiological assessments and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials could be clinically useful for examining patients with NIHL.

Background: Noise has been related to several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as coronary heart disease and to their risk factors such as hypertension, but associations with stroke remain under-researched, even if CVD likely share similar pathophysiologic mechanisms. Aim: The objective of the study was to examine the association between long-term residential exposure to total environmental noise and stroke incidence in Montreal, Canada. Materials and Methods: We created an open cohort of adults aged ≥45years, free of stroke before entering the cohort for the years 2000 to 2014 with health administrative data. Residential total environmental noise levels were estimated with land use regression (LUR) models. Incident stroke was based on hospital admissions. Cox hazard models with age as the time axis and time-varying exposures were used to estimate associations, which were adjusted for material deprivation, year, nitrogen dioxide, stratified for sex, and indirectly adjusted for smoking. Results: There were 9,072,492 person-years of follow-up with 47% men; 26,741 developed stroke (21,402 ischemic; 4947 hemorrhagic; 392 had both). LUR total noise level acoustic equivalent for 24 hours (LAeq24h) ranged 44 to 79 dBA. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for stroke (all types), for a 10-dBA increase in LAeq24h, was 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.09]. The LAeq24h was associated with ischemic (HR per 10 dBA: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04–1.12) but not hemorrhagic stroke (HR per 10 dBA: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.90–1.04). Conclusion: The results suggest that total environmental noise is associated with incident stroke, which is consistent with studies on transportation noise and other CVD.

Context: With the changing lifestyle in modern society, the youth has become the target of substantial noise exposure. Both environmental noise and the use of personal electronic devices create a risk for youth’s hearing conservation as reported in several studies. Aims: This study aims to adapt and validate the Youth Attitude to Noise Scale (YANS), developed by Widén and Erlandsson for use in the Turkish setting. Settings and Design: The linguistic adaptation of the YANS into Turkish (YANS-Tr) was conducted with three experts in linguistics. A cross-sectional study was designed for high school students to establish the evidence for the reliability and validity of the scale. Methods and Material: 345 high school students participated in the pilot study. The demographic data form developed by the researcher was used to retrieve the information related to participants. Lastly, the 19-item YANS-Tr was delivered to students. Statistical analysis used: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed for the construct validity. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated for each dimension and the whole scale. Results: Four-dimensional structure was yielded for the YANS-Tr as in the original version of the scale. However, some items (8th, 10th, 18th, and 19th) were loaded under different dimensions. The reliability coefficient of the scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.79) was within the acceptable range. The mean overall YANS-Tr score was 2.68. When the mean scores are compared with other countries, Turkey stands higher than Sweden (2.10), close to Serbia (2.76) and Brazil (2.80), and lower than Belgium (3.10) and China (3.46). Conclusions: The YANS-Tr is shown to be a valid and reliable assessment tool to evaluate the students’ attitude to noise in Turkey.

Purpose: In this study, the development of a quantitative measurement method to predict long-term auditory adaptation through the stimuli that have been modulated according to different short-term modulation types was aimed to form a psychoacoustic test battery. It might be used in the evaluation process of individuals with hidden hearing loss. Methods: The individuals participating in our study were separated into two groups: high-risk group (n = 39) and low-risk group (n = 30) according to the noise-exposure score. To all participants, auditory brainstem response (ABR), dichotically digit test, Turkish matrix sentence test, otoacoustic emissions test, amplitude modulation detection test, and loudness adaptation test were applied. Stimuli, used in loudness adaptation tests, were provided in three different experiment pairs (experiment 1–2, experiment 3–4, and experiment 5–6). Results: The amplitude of wave I of ABR increased as the intensity level increased in the low-risk group, whereas the amplitude reduced as the intensity level increased in the high-risk group (P < 0.05). When different carrier frequency stimuli were used in amplitude modulation detection test, we found that loudness adaptation was highest at 1 kHz carrier frequency with background noise (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We observed that individuals assumed having hidden hearing loss had high adaptation scores. It was thought that this result might be related to auditory nerve fibers with low spontaneous rate and thus distortion in temporal coding skills might lead to abnormal loudness adaptation, especially with contralateral noise.

Background: Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is commonly encountered in audiologic and otolaryngologic practice. Constraint-induced music/sound therapy (CIMT) is characterized by the plugging of the normal ear (constraint) and the simultaneous, stimulation of the affected ear with music, which is based on a well-established neurorehabilitation approach. Corticosteroid therapy (CST) is the current mainstay of treatment. The prognosis for hearing recovery depends on many factors including the severity of hearing loss, age, and presence of vertigo. Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of CIMT with CST in ISSNHL. Methods: We performed a systematic search, using specific keywords relevant to our study, in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and additional sources of published trials till December 2020. We then screened all search results obtained according to our inclusion/exclusion criteria and performed a quality assessment on all studies using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale and using MedCalc, a meta-analysis was performed on suitable studies. Results: The recovery rates of three included nonrandomized studies were assessed at 1 to 3 months. A total of 229 (CST: 131, CST + CIMT: 98) patients were pooled for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis using the random-effect model found the relative risk of recovery rate within 3 months to be 1.213 (95% confidence interval 0.709–2.074), a result that is not statistically significant. Conclusion: Although our analysis results do not demonstrate the noticeable effect of CIMT in ISSNHL, it can support be a gainful adjunct to CST for better hearing results than CST alone. Therefore, it needs further prospective randomized controlled multicenter trials with a large sample.

Context: There is a need for a clear cutoff to use noise sensitivity (NS) scale as a prediagnostic tool in research and clinical use. Aims: Noise sensitivity questionnaire (NoiSeQ) was adapted into Turkish language (Tr-NoiSeQ); validity and reliability of the Tr-NoiSeQ were assessed. The cutoff for the Tr-NoiSeQ was determined. Settings and design: A descriptive study within subject design. Materials and methods: A group of 402 participants aged between 18 and 52 years filled the Tr-NoiSeQ and the Turkish version of Weinstein noise sensitivity scale (Tr-WNSS) via internet. Statistical analysis used: Cronbach alpha (α) and the Spearman‒Brown coefficient were calculated for the reliability; Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for the validity. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate cutoff value of the Tr-NoiSeQ. Results: For the Tr-NoiSeQ, Cronbach α was 0.92, Spearman‒Brown coefficient was 0.93 (P < 0.05). A high significant correlation between the Tr-WNSS and the Tr-NoiSeQ was obtained (r = 0.76, P < 0.05). The fit indexes of the model were obtained as (χ2 = 1361.06, df = 546, P < 0.001), χ2 / df = 2.49, root mean square error of approximation = 0.06, comparative fit index = 0.83, goodness of fit index = 0.82. The ROC curve showed that the cutoff for the Tr-NoiSeQ was 53 with a 0.92 sensitivity and a 0.85 specificity (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: The Tr-NoiSeQ is a valid and reliable tool for use in both clinical practice and research. The Tr-NoiSeQ seems to be consistent with the Tr-WNSS and can be used as a screening tool to evaluate NS in audiology.

Context Young people expose themselves to high levels of noise during various leisure activities and might thus be at risk of acquiring hearing-related problems due to leisure noise exposure. Aim The aim of this study was to compare the hearing status, amount of leisure noise exposure, and attitudes and beliefs toward noise, hearing loss, and hearing protection devices (HPDs) in university students at the moment of their enrollment in higher education and after approximately 3 years. Settings and Design Thirty-four female university students were tested at the moment of their enrollment in higher education and after approximately 3 years. Method and Material Hearing was evaluated using pure-tone audiometry and transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. A questionnaire was used to evaluate leisure noise exposure and attitudes and beliefs toward noise, hearing loss, and HPDs. Results There were significant differences after the 3-year period: a deterioration in hearing at some tested frequencies, an increase in the occurrence of temporary tinnitus after leisure noise exposure, an increase in noise exposure related to visiting nightclubs and music venues, and differences in attitudes and beliefs toward noise, hearing loss and HPDs. Conclusions More longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the onset and progression of hearing loss due to leisure noise exposure. In the meantime, hearing conservation programs targeting young people should be optimized.

Context: The association between noise sensitivity and misophonia has not been explored in any population, according to the available literature. Aims: To assess the proportion of misophonia symptoms among young healthy adults, to propose the criteria for high perceived misophonia, and to explore the association between misophonia with noise sensitivity with adjustment for sex, age, perceived anxiety, and depression. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study on 1132 medical students, aged 21.4 ± 2.1 years. Methods and Material: Misophonia symptoms were self-reported using the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale. Nine criteria for high perceived misophonia are proposed. Noise sensitivity was measured with Weinstein scale. Perceived anxiety and depression were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, respectively. Statistical Analysis Used: Multiple logistic regression. Results: Almost half of the students reported the feeling of irritation against people making provoking sounds. Only one in 10 claimed the feeling of loss of self-control when exposed to provoking sounds. High noise sensitivity and high depression were associated with higher odds of meeting the criteria for high perceived misophonia. Conclusion: Noise-sensitive students are at higher risk of reporting misophonia symptoms and of being classified with high perceived misophonia. The combination of at least four or more symptoms, which classifies every 10th student with high perceived misophonia, is proposed as a self-assessment tool for epidemiological studies among young healthy adults.

Background: Exposure to noise can increase biological stress reactions and that could increase the risk of stress-related prenatal effects, including adverse obstetric outcomes; however, the association between exposure to noise and adverse obstetric outcomes has not been extensively explored. The objective of this review was to evaluate the evidence between noise exposures and adverse obstetric outcomes, specifically preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of English language, comparative studies available in PubMed, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases between January 1, 1980 and December 29, 2021 was performed. Risk of bias for individual studies was assessed using the Risk of Bias Instrument for Nonrandomized Studies of Exposures, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the certainty of the body of evidence for each outcome. Results: Six studies reporting on preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension were identified. Although some studies suggested there may be signals of increased responses to increased noise exposure for preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, the certainty in the evidence of an effect of increased noise on all the outcomes was very low due to concerns with risk of bias, inconsistency across studies, and imprecision in the effect estimates. Conclusions: While the certainty of the evidence for noise exposure and adverse obstetric outcomes was very low, the findings from this review may be useful for directing further research in this area, as there is currently limited evidence available. These findings may also be useful for informing guidelines and policies involving noise exposure situations or environments.

Background: Noise sensitivity moderates the association between environmental noise exposure and annoyance and health outcomes. Methods: In normally hearing adults, we measured noise sensitivity in three ways: using the noise sensitivity questionnaire, a 3-point self-rating, and the loudness discomfort level (LDL; mean reported discomfort level for tone bursts). We then presented recordings of a 15-second 80 dBLAeq aeroplane overflight and participants rated the annoyance and loudness they experienced. Results: The three measures of noise sensitivity were not well correlated with each other, and only the overall LDL was associated with the ratings of loudness and annoyance in response to the aeroplane sounds. Conclusions: This implies that our current measures of noise sensitivity may only capture parts of the underlying construct, and therefore underestimate effects due to it on the association between environmental noise and annoyance and health outcomes. We developed a theoretical model to describe the set of factors that may influence a person’s sensitivity to noise and propose that interaction between the systems described is the basis for noise sensitivity. This paradigm alters the focus of noise research from the annoyance caused by the sound, to the sensitization to noise that may occur as a result of the interplay of many factors. We hope that our model will allow research to explore the sensitizing factors for noise more easily and systematically.

Background: Exposure to acute noise can cause an increase in biological stress reactions, which provides biological plausibility for a potential association between sustained noise exposure and stress-related health effects. However, the certainty in the evidence for an association between exposures to noise on short- and long-term biomarkers of stress has not been widely explored. The objective of this review was to evaluate the strength of evidence between noise exposure and changes in the biological parameters known to contribute to the development of stress-related adverse cardiovascular responses. Materials and Methods: This systematic review comprises English language comparative studies available in PubMed, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases from January 1, 1980 to December 29, 2021. Where possible, random-effects meta-analyses were used to examine the effect of noise exposure from various sources on stress-related cardiovascular biomarkers. The risk of bias of individual studies was assessed using the risk of bias of nonrandomized studies of exposures instrument. The certainty of the body of evidence for each outcome was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. Results: The search identified 133 primary studies reporting on blood pressure, hypertension, heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia, vascular resistance, and cardiac output. Meta-analyses of blood pressure, hypertension, and heart rate suggested there may be signals of increased risk in response to a higher noise threshold or incrementally higher levels of noise. Across all outcomes, the certainty of the evidence was very low due to concerns with the risk of bias, inconsistency across exposure sources, populations, and studies and imprecision in the estimates of effects. Conclusions: This review identifies that exposure to higher levels of noise may increase the risk of some short- and long-term cardiovascular events; however, the certainty of the evidence was very low. This likely represents the inability to compare across the totality of the evidence for each outcome, underscoring the value of continued research in this area. Findings from this review may be used to inform policies of noise reduction or mitigation interventions.

Objective: To study the Influence of Auditory Training on acceptable noise level (ANL) scores in elderly persons with hearing impairment. Design: Quasi-experimental study design. Study sample: A total of 20 bilateral mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss participants with “high” ANL scores were taken into the study and randomly allocated to experimental and control groups. In the time frame, the experimental group provided 12 sessions of speech in noise training with a hearing aid and the baseline measures were repeated in both groups. Results: The Acceptable noise level and Speech in Noise scores significantly improved post-training only in the experimental group. They also showed a significant difference “Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI)” scale in the domain “Conversation in Noise”. Conclusions: Acceptable noise level is susceptible to training similar to that of speech in noise score. It provides hope to the individuals who are poor candidates to the hearing aids.

Objectives: To assess the effects of noise and chemical exposure on peripheral and central auditory pathways in normal-hearing workers exposed to chemicals or high noise levels and compare the groups with each other and with workers not exposed to either of these agents. Methods: A total of 54 normal-hearing workers were divided into three groups (chemical, noise, control) and submitted to the following assessments: conventional and extended high-frequency pure-tone audiometry; transient and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions, the inhibitory effect of the efferent auditory pathway; and Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) and Pitch Pattern Sequence (PPS) test. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in extended high-frequency hearing thresholds. Significantly lower amplitudes were observed in the noise group for otoacoustic emissions. There were significantly more absences of the inhibitory effect of the efferent system in the noise group. There was no difference between the groups in the SSW test, while in PPS, the noise group performed worse than the control group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that noise exposure produced deleterious effects on the workers’ peripheral and central auditory systems, despite their normal hearing thresholds. The chemical group did not have significantly different results from those of the control group. It is important that individuals exposed to noise or chemicals have their auditory pathways monitored with complementary assessments.

Context: Despite the fact that the new generations of rotary tools emit less noise, some recent studies suggest that dental students are still at risk of hearing impairment. Aims: The aim of the study was to determine a possible association between noise exposure from dental equipment and early signs of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in dental students. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out with dental and non-dental students from two universities in Chile. Methods and Material: A group of 102 dental students routinely exposed to noise emitted from dental equipment was selected as the study group. A group of 251 non-dental students was selected as the control group. Pure-tone audiometry was carried out on all participants ensuring that they were not exposed to noise for at least 24 hours prior to testing. The presence of a notch was determined for each participant. Statistical analysis used: Simultaneous-quantile regressions were used to compare percentiles of the hearing threshold between both groups. Then, the notch prevalence ratio adjusted by gender and age was estimated for each group of participants. Finally, the prevalence of an audiometric notch was compared between both groups using logistic regression models and generalized linear methods. Both fixed effect and multilevel hierarchy models were constructed. Results: Significant differences between groups for the 75th percentile of hearing threshold distributions at 4 and 6 kHz in the left ear and at 6 kHz in the right ear were found. In addition, study group participants exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of a notch at 4 kHz in the left ear than control group participants. Conclusions: Exposure to noise derived from learning activities as a dental student is associated with early signs of NIHL. Such signs include poorer hearing thresholds than those of non-dental students at 4 and 6 kHz as well as the presence of a notch at high frequencies.

Background Leisure noise may have a significant impact on hearing thresholds and young adults are often exposed to loud music during leisure activities. This behavior puts them at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). A frequent initial indication of NIHL is reduced hearing acuity at 4 kHz. The objective of the current study was to assess the role of the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR) in leisure noise-exposed individuals with and without a 4-kHz notch. Materials and Methods Audiological evaluation, including pure-tone and immittance audiometry, was performed for 156 college-going, young adults between May 2019 to December 2019. All participants had averaged pure-tone audiometric thresholds within normal limits, bilaterally. Annual individual exposure to personal listening devices (PLDs) was calculated using the Noise Exposure Questionnaire. The participants were then categorized into exposed (with and without audiometric 4 kHz notch) and nonexposed groups. Transient-evoked otoacoustic emission amplitude and its contralateral suppression were measured using linear and nonlinear click stimuli to study the effect of leisure noise exposure on MOCR. Results A significantly reduced overall contralateral suppression effect in participants exposed to PLD usage (P = 0.01) in both linear and nonlinear modes. On the contrary, significantly increased suppression was observed in linear mode for the 4 kHz frequency band in the PLD-exposed group without an audiometric notch (P = 0.009), possibly suggesting an early biomarker of NIHL. Conclusion Measuring contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions may be an effective tool to detect early NIHL in leisure noise-exposed individuals.

Background Noise in intensive care units (ICUs) has always been a problem, but noise above the recommended range affects not only the patient but staff as well. It is clear that some noise in the ICU is inevitable, but exceeding the normal range brings various physiologic and psychologic changes, which directly affect health. This review presents a synthesis of noise sources in the ICU and the potential interventions designed to attenuate noise and protect patients. Materials and Methods An extensive literature search, using electronic databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research gate to understand the noise in ICU, effects of noise, and noise reduction interventions were undertaken. Results Findings were such as noise enhances the release of cortisol, increases oxygen consumption, increases sleep disturbances, increases the need for analgesia and sedation, and disrupts circadian rhythm. Many studies reported that measurement was always higher despite implementing noise reduction interventions. Conclusions ICU survivors always recall their memories, and for them, ICU admission becomes a negative experience for life. However, the sustainability of any single intervention did not show awe-inspiring results, whereas a bundle kind of interventions did show some effects. However, high-quality evidence demonstrating the benefit of any intervention on patient outcomes is still lacking.

Background: One of the most common hearing disorders is hyperacusis, characterized by decreased sound tolerance or noise sensitivity. Objective: The present paper aimed to evaluate the validity of the Persian version of the hyperacusis questionnaire. Methods: The sample was comprised of 434 students evaluated at the Kashan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, between July 2019 and February 2020. After translation and retranslation of questionnaire, the content validity was assessed by 15 occupational health experts using content validity index (CVI) and ratio (CVR). Validity and reliability of the scale were examined by using confirmatory factor analysis, the Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (CR), and the average variance extracted (AVE) tests. Results: In the exploratory analysis of the Persian version of Khalfa hyperacusis questionnaire, 14 items were created based on three subscales) attentional, social, and emotional dimensions) which explained 46.5% of the total variances. Content validity of 14 questions was approved with CVR > 0.49 and CVI > 0.7. The Cronbach alpha, AVE, and CR indexes were calculated 0.811, 0.761, and 0.901, respectively, which showed that reliability of the scale was adequate. Conclusions: It was concluded that this Persian version of the hyperacusis questionnaire has relatively acceptable validity and reliability in Iran. Given that the tool has a small number of questions, it is easily used in different studies.

Objective: This study explored the interaction between environment and behavior and analyzed the effect of physical environment stimuli and individual differences on environmental perception. Methods: We investigated the effects of two kinds of noise sensitivities (high sensitivity and low sensitivity) and three kinds of noise types (quiet, road traffic noise, and speech noise) on working memory and noise annoyance of college students through questionnaires and experiments. Results: (i) noise sensitivity was positively correlated with neuroticism and negatively correlated with conscientiousness. (ii) The interaction between noise sensitivity and noise type significantly affected the accuracy of working memory. (iii) Both noise sensitivity and the main effect of noise type significantly affected the response time of working memory. (iv) The interaction between noise sensitivity and noise type significantly affects noise annoyance. Conclusion: There were significant differences in working memory performance and subjective noise annoyance among individuals with different levels of noise sensitivity.

Introduction: All universities that meet state and/or federal requirements for employees’ noise exposure must have a hearing conservation program (HCP). Universities with HCPs and Doctor of Audiology (AuD) programs could reap a range of benefits from interprofessional collaboration between these programs, including enhanced learning opportunities for AuD students; however, it is unclear whether this collaboration occurs consistently in different university settings. Despite a relatively robust literature around occupational audiology and the audiologist’s role in hearing conservation in general, few studies examine this subject in the university setting. Aim: This study seeks to provide insights into the role of the university audiologists in university HCPs that could help inform further exploration and potential pilot studies to enhance university-based occupational HCPs, ultimately supporting more rigorous professional training in occupational audiology in AuD programs. Method: This study’s primary method was a survey questionnaire delivered to audiologists at U.S. universities. Survey questions explored university audiologists’ role, involvement with their universities’ HCPs, and benefits and barriers to collaboration with the HCPs. Results: The results indicate that although audiologists report that they have participated in hearing conservation generally at their universities, the majority of respondents were not actively involved with occupational HCPs. Conclusion: Further research is needed to understand how university HCPs are managed and how effective they are. With greater awareness of audiologists’ contributions to university HCPs, their role in this important workplace program could merit expansion.

Context: Sound levels in fitness classes often exceed safe levels despite studies that show many participants find high sound levels stressful. Aims: The objective is to determine if lower sound levels in spinning classes significantly impact exercise intensity and to determine if class participants prefer the music played at lower levels. Settings and Design: Observational study of 1-hour group spin classes. Methods and Materials: Sound levels were measured in 18 spin classes over two weeks. No adjustments were made in week-1 and sound levels were decreased by 3 dB in week-2. Participant preferences and data on post-class hearing changes were collected via post-class questionnaires (n = 213) and divided into three terciles based on the total sound exposure of corresponding classes. Statistical Analysis Used: Unweighted survey generalized linear models are used to sort the causal relationships between different variables simultaneously and participant responses. The Chi-square test is used to reveal statistically significant relationships between two or more categorical variables. Results: When mean sound levels exceeded 98.4 dBC, respondents were 23 times more likely to report the music as too loud than too quiet (P < 0.05), and four times more likely to prefer a decrease, rather than an increase, in sound level (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in respondents reporting high exercise intensity between the middle (95.7–98.1 dBC) and upper (98.4–101.0 dBC) terciles, 67.1% and 71.8%, respectively (P = 0.53). Overall, 25.9% of respondents reported auditory symptoms following classes. Analysis in the context of dBA and dBC produced congruent conclusions and interpretations. Conclusions: Sound levels in many fitness classes remain dangerously high. However, music level can be lowered without a significant impact on perceived exercise intensity and many participants prefer lower sound levels than current levels.

Context and aim: The link between headaches and exposure to loud noise in occupational settings has been established. However, the effect of less intense but chronic residential traffic noise exposure on headache occurrence is less clear. Settings and design: We included 3,025 participants from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study in Germany for this cross-sectional analysis. Methods and material: Residential road traffic noise exposure at the 2006–2008 address was modelled in A-weighted decibels (dB(A)) according to the European Noise Directive (2002/49/EC) for 24-hour (Lden) and night-time noise (22-6 h, Lnight). Indoor traffic noise exposure was obtained by modifying Lden and Lnight based on residence orientation, window type, and personal window opening habits. Traffic noise exposure below 55, 45 dB(A), 35 and 25 dB(A) were set as the reference for Lden, Lnight, Lden,indoor and Lnight,indoor, respectively. Average number of days with headache per month over the past three months was ascertained during the follow-up (2011–2015) medical interview. Statistical analysis used: Prevalence Odds Ratios (POR) of having eight or more headaches per month per 5 dB(A) increase in traffic noise exposure were calculated using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, sport, number of chronic conditions, years of education and smoking status. Results: The mean age of participants was 58.3. Mean Lden was 54 dB(A). Median monthly headache days was one. No association was seen between traffic noise exposure and having ≥8 headaches/month for all the examined traffic noise indicators. However, traffic noise was positively associated with traffic noise-annoyance and insomnia; and night-time traffic noise-annoyance and insomnia were positively associated with headache. Conclusion: In conclusion, our data did not provide any evidence for an association between chronic traffic noise exposure and prevalence of headaches at this population’s exposure levels. This should be explored in different populations given that this is the first study of its type and that noise exposure was generally low in our population.

Populations in cities are projected to increase globally, densifying urban residential environments with both positive and negative effects. Positive social effects are offset by negative health effects however; urban residential noise has been identified in a large number of studies as a significant contributor to social unrest as well as a risk to physiological and psychological health caused by stress, making this topic highly relevant to the discussion on sustainability urban growth. Focusing on the psychological rebound effect of urban residential noise, this paper attempts to explain how and why auditory aspects of the spatial environment negatively influences urban residents. To provide context and to indicate areas in need of improvement, the legislative challenges to be faced are considered, with Sweden as a prime example of a first world country grappling with the effects of increased urban density. Existing building legislation regarding residential noise is considered in relation to studies investigating the effects of residential noise on psychological and physiological health, outlining areas in need of future development. Then, health responses to residential noise are placed in a broader evolutionary context by considering how these effects might be the result of triggered evolutionary mechanisms for keeping population size optimal. Further, the spatial dimension of hearing is discussed with reference to theories of territoriality in environmental psychology and the concept of auditory territoriality is described.

Introduction: The noise emissions from the operation of heliports situated in cities can have significant adverse impacts on a large number of local residents. Despite its significance, the effect of noise from rotary aircraft operation in an urban setting has not been extensively studied. Objective: This paper presents for the first time an objective and subjective investigation into the noise emissions from the London Heliport and the associated impact on local residents. Method: Long-term noise monitoring measurements were taken at four locations and a social survey was implemented involving over 1500 respondents. A new objective measurement methodology was designed and developed that allowed individual air movements from the Heliport to be acoustically identified. Subjective results were contrasted with relevant social surveys and to the objective results. Objective results were also compared to planning guidance, local operation conditions and national and international based noise assessment criteria. Results: Excessive sound levels were found, both internally and externally, which can be attributed directly to the operation of the Heliport. The high participation rate obtained in the social survey confirmed that noise emissions from the heliport operation cause important/substantial adverse impact on quality or life and well-being of the majority of respondents. Conclusions: The level of annoyance reported by respondents appeared higher than the level of annoyance attributed to the noise measurements at monitoring sites. As a study first of its kind, it is expected that the findings will inform and influence future regulatory policy and consequently improve the well-being of many residents.

Background: Human exposure to infrasound is increasing due to man-made factors, such as occupational conditions, wind farms and transportation. The concern among the public regarding the safety of infrasound exposure is growing. Aims: To evaluate whether exposure to infrasound interferes directly with human cardiac function and contributes to pathological processes. Setting: The University Hospital of Mainz, Germany. Methods: Human myocardial tissues, obtained from patients undergoing cardiac surgery, were prepared in small muscle samples and stimulated electrically in-vitro for a period of almost two hours under physiological conditions to induce continuous pulsatile contractions and simulating a working human heart. Two samples were obtained from each donor: one was subjected to infrasound for 60 min and the other served as a control. Their contraction forces (CF) and durations (CD) were measured before and after each testing period and their relative changes (CF% and CD%) were calculated and introduced in a multilinear regression model. The following three infrasound levels of exposure were used in this study: 100, 110 and 120 dBz. Results: The measured CF% corresponded negatively with the infrasound level measured in dBz (R2 = 0.631; P = 0.018). The decrease measured almost −11% at 110 dBz and −18% at 120 dBz, after correction for control. The CD on the other hand remained unchanged. Conclusions: Exposure to high levels of infrasound (more than 100 dBz) interferes with cardiac muscle contractile ability, as early as one hour after exposure. There are numerous additional studies which support this conclusion. These results should be taken into account when considering environmental regulations.

Context: White noise is known to have detrimental effects on different brain regions, especially auditory regions, including inferior colliculus. Although the basis for such alterations has been hypothesized to result from abnormalities in neurotransmitter release, the mechanism is unclear. The final step in neurotransmission is the docking and transient fusion of synaptic vesicles at the base of cup-shaped lipoprotein structures called porosomes at the presynaptic membrane and the consequent release of neurotransmitters. Earlier studies in cat brain document altered morphology of the secretory portal the porosome at nerve terminals in the inferior colliculus following white noise exposure. The current study was performed to test the hypothesis of possible changes to synaptic vesicle size in the colliculus, following white noise exposure. Material and Methods: Electron microscopic morphometry of synaptic vesicles size in axo-dendritic synapses at the colliculus region of the cat brain was performed. Results: We report, for first time, decreased size of both docked and undocked vesicles in high-intensity white noise-exposed animals. In both control and experimental animals, docked vesicles are demonstrated to be smaller than undocked vesicles, suggesting fractional discharge of vesicular contents via porosome-mediated kiss-and-run mechanism. Conclusion: These studies advance our understanding of neurotransmitter release and the impact of white noise on brain function.

Background: Previous studies have highlighted that bilingual listeners have a deficit in speech perception in their second language compared with monolingual listeners in noisy listening environments. This deficit may give rise to educational and occupational implications for bilingual speakers who are studying or working in non-native language environments in poor acoustic conditions. Objectives: To compare the speech perception performance of monolingual English speakers and English as a second language (ESL) bilinguals within environments with various levels of background noise and to examine whether bilinguals with an early age of second language acquisition would perform better than those with a late age of acquisition. Study sample: Two groups of adult listeners with normal hearing participated: monolingual British English listeners (N = 15) and bilingual Arabic listeners for whom English was their second language and who were proficient in English (N = 15). The quick speech-in-noise (QuickSIN) test was used to assess signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss and SNR-50 for both groups. Results: The QuickSIN test results indicated that bilingual Arabic listeners with normal hearing displayed a mild SNR loss comparable to that observed for a person with hearing loss, indicating a higher SNR needed for this population to achieve a comparable level of comprehension to their monolingual English peers. Conclusion: Results highlight the importance of measuring SNR loss to obtain accurate diagnosis and potential rehabilitative information that is not available from audiogram studies.

Background: The effects of noise on sleep and health have been evaluated in earlier studies using noise indices chosen on the basis of practical considerations and not on the physiologic mechanisms of sleep disturbance due to noise exposure. We investigated the neurophysiologic mechanisms of sleep and found that the arithmetic mean of the sound levels above a threshold ([INSIDE:1]) may be used effectively to evaluate the effects of nighttime noise exposure. However, the efficacy of using [INSIDE:2] has only been confirmed in a specific setting; therefore, the reliability of [INSIDE:3] in other situations should be investigated by applying it in epidemiologic studies. In this study, we aimed to obtain an alternative equation for calculating [INSIDE:4] from existing noise indices, given that detailed information on fluctuations in sound levels, needed to calculate [INSIDE:5] according to the definition, is not readily available. Materials and Methods: We examined statistical relationships among noise indices namely [INSIDE:6], the number of noise events above 60 and 70 dB (N60 and N70), and the night equivalent sound level (Lnight). The study area was around the Kadena military airfield, where the sound levels were recorded at noise monitoring stations. Results: [INSIDE:7] showed a very strong correlation with N60 and N70 but not with Lnight. Among regression equations, an equation representing N60 and the interaction between N60 and Lnight, which is equivalent to the product of N60 and a linear expression of Lnight, showed the highest prediction capability. Conclusion: We obtained a regression equation to calculate [INSIDE:8] from N60 and Lnight. Although this alternative equation for [INSIDE:9] is only applicable for military aircraft noise, it will aid the re-analysis of existing epidemiologic studies as well as further investigations on the relationship between noise exposure and health effects.

Objective: We made hypotheses that tinnitus will appear more likely in patients with sudden deafness with superior hearing in unaffected ear or with more severe acute hearing loss. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Five hundred forty-one patients were identified with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) from January 1995 to August 2006. The exclusion criteria for this study were as follows: bilateral sudden hearing loss and Meniere disease, previous tinnitus or bilateral tinnitus at initial evaluation, and onset of hearing loss less than 7 days. The cohort enrolled 454 patients. The enrolled patients were classified into two groups: patient with acute onset tinnitus in the affected ear and patients without tinnitus at initial visit. Main outcome measures were patient age, the presence or absence of vertigo and tinnitus, audiometric patterns, the severity of hearing loss, and hearing in the unaffected ear. Results: Better contralateral hearing (n = 220 versus n = 72, P < 0.001) and younger age (48 versus 55 years, P < 0.001) were independently associated with the acute onset of tinnitus in patients with ISSHL. The degree of asymmetry between the ears did not differ significantly between patients with and without tinnitus. The sex, presence of vertigo, shape of audiogram, and severity of hearing loss were not correlated with tinnitus occurrence. Conclusions: Tinnitus triggered by ISSHL was more frequent in patients with better contralateral hearing and of a younger age, irrespective of the severity of hearing loss on the affected side or the asymmetry between the ears.

Background: For many young people, exposure to music from personal audio system use may represent a significant component of daily noise dose. Moreover, there is increasing concern for the hearing of those who listen at high volumes. The purpose of this study was to determine the noise levels experienced on commuter buses, and to investigate how these impact on the volume-setting behavior of young adult personal audio system users. Methods: A questionnaire was used to probe transport use, personal audio system-listening behaviors and the extent of understanding about noise-induced hearing loss. The influence of bus noise on volume-setting behavior was determined by measuring, in a lab setting, the sound-level preferences of participants when listening to their favorite song, a generic song, or a podcast in the absence and presence of various levels of bus noise, simulated using output-adjusted recordings made of bus noise. Statistical analysis was conducted using analysis of variance. Results: While the bus noise itself was below 85 dB Leq, as the sound level of the buses increased, so did the percentage of commuters who were found to exceed the equivalent of 8 hours of exposure at 85 dB Leq. Implications: Investment in buses with lower noise levels or the use of noise-canceling or noise-occluding headphones would help to reduce the likelihood of noise-induced hearing loss for bus commuters.

Context: The aim of this study was to verify the contributing effect in the cases of combined road traffic noise and railroad traffic noise on total noise annoyance. Materials and Methods: After opening the four-track railway of the Lower Inn Valley Route in Austria, an evaluation study was conducted by an interview survey (n=1003). The data of this survey included answers on annoyance caused by railroad, road traffic noise and total annoyance as well as self-evaluated noise sensitivity. Results: When annoyance is only related to one of these sources, a 10% share of highly annoyed persons was observed at 59 dB for road noise and 60 dB for railroad noise. The annoyance model including both noise sources with a coefficient of 0.145 for road noise, 0.034 for railroad noise and 0.431 for noise sensitivity (all p-values < 0.01) showed a regression coefficient R2 of 0.299. The presence of road background noise did not influence the annoyance on railway noise. Conclusion: The combined influence of road and railway noise showed an increase of total annoyance.