Effects of Hypoxia on the Characteristics of Auditory Perception in Humans.

The effects of normobaric hypoxic hypoxia (single-session and interval training) on the sensory-cognitive features of auditory perception in humans were studied. Audibility thresholds (pure tone audiograms) were determined, along with the psychophysical properties of auditory analysis (detection of pauses in the sound signal, discrimination of rhythm, extraction of the target word in 'verbal cocktail' conditions), and the volume of short-term auditory memory before and after hypoxia. Qualitative and quantitative changes were found in measures of the subjects' sensitivity, memory, and reaction speed. A positive effect of interval hypoxic training on the processes of auditory perception was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]