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PubMed2001

Audiometric notch as a sign of noise induced hearing loss.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relation between different types of exposure to noise and a classic sign of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), the audiometric notch. METHODS: The study sample had exposure to both continuous and impulse noise and was drawn from a population of electrical transmission workers. Audiograms, taken as part of a hearing conservation programme, were read by three clinicians experienced in the assessment of NIHL. Working independently and using their clinical judgment, they were asked to identify localised increases in the threshold of hearing (audiometric notches) which they would attribute to noise, had a suitable history of exposure been elicited. Prevalent cases of NIHL were identified by the presence of a notch in either ear. Risk factors for NIHL were assessed by a questionnaire which sought information about exposure to air blast circuit breaker noise; firearms; explosions, and continuous noise. The odds of exposure to these factors in those with and without hearing loss were calculated, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated by logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 648 questionnaires sent out 357 were returned, a response rate of 55%. Of these, at least two out of the three assessors identified 175 (49%) people with a notch at any audiometric frequency. There was no association between these cases and the NIHL risk factors identified by the questionnaire, but a further frequency specific analysis showed a small proportion of people (15 (4%)) with notches at 4 kHz who had the expected associations with exposure to noise and a significant OR for firearms of 4.25 (95% CI 1.28 to 14.1). The much larger proportion of people with 6 kHz notches (110 (31%)) did not show these associations. CONCLUSIONS: To diagnose NIHL it is important to elicit a detailed and accurate history of exposure to noise: although the notch at 4 kHz is a well established clinical sign and may be valuable in confirming the diagnosis, the 6 kHz notch is variable and of limited importance.

Audiometry↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Noise-induced cochlear hypoxia is intensity dependent, correlates with hearing loss and precedes reduction of cochlear blood flow.

Anesthetized and artificially ventilated guinea pigs were exposed to broad-band noise of 95, 101, 106 or 115 dB SPL for 30 min and studied for 180 min after cessation of noise. The partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) in the perilymph, the cochlear blood flow (CoBF) and auditory-evoked potentials were continuously recorded. Arterial blood pressure, electrocardiogram, inspiratory and expiratory gas levels, arterial blood gas levels and acid-base status were kept stable to exclude influences of these parameters on cochlear parameters. Exposure to 95 dB SPL did not affect perilymphatic pO2 or CoBF. Cochlear microphonics (CMs) were reduced, but compound action potentials of the auditory nerve (CAPs) and auditory brainstem potentials (ABRs) increased after exposure to this low-level noise. Perilymphatic pO2 decreased during exposure to 101 dB SPL and then further decreased during the subsequent 60 min after cessation of the noise. CoBF did not change significantly during and 30 min after noise but then paralleled the decline of perilymphatic pO2. However, both parameters showed a clear indication of recovery in the second and third hours after noise. At 101 dB SPL, CMs were again reduced immediately, CAPs were unaltered and ABRs again increased. Exposure to 106 and to 115 dB SPL resulted in a decrease in both perilymphatic pO2 and CoBF; this decrease began during the exposure but became progressively worse after the noise. Hearing loss was observed immediately with exposure and showed no signs of further deterioration after cessation. The observed time courses of changes are important. They reveal that hearing loss and cochlear hypoxia precede reduction in CoBF due to noise exposure. The potential mechanisms underlying these effects are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The protective effects of allopurinol and superoxide dismutase on noise-induced cochlear damage.

Several studies have demonstrated that noise exposure may result in local vasoconstriction of cochlear vessels. The subsequent decrease in cochlear blood flow may lead to hypoxia and predispose to the formation of free oxygen radicals (FORs). If hypoxia occurs in response to noise exposure, then drugs that scavenge or block the formation of FORs should protect the cochlea from damage resulting from hypoxic or ischemic events as well as noise trauma. Rats were exposed to 60 hours of continuous broad-band noise (90 dB SPL) and treated with superoxide dismutase-polyethylene glycol (SOD-PEG), allopurinol, or a control vehicle. Exposure to noise resulted in significant threshold shifts at each frequency tested (3, 8, 12, and 18 kHz) as measured by tone burst-evoked compound action potentials and cochlear microphonics recorded from the round window. Both of these thresholds in drug-treated animals were attenuated compared with animals exposed to noise alone. These findings show that SOD-PEG and allopurinol may preserve cochlear sensitivity associated with noise exposure. This suggests that noise-induced damage to the cochlea may be related to the activity of FORs.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1998

[Survey of noise exposure level of national forestry workers].

Eighty-one national forestry workers who were using chain saws, log cutters, log cutting machines, bush cleaners, timber-collecting cable machines and forklifts were examined for their level of noise exposure in a working day by using a portable sound meter. And their noise exposure levels Leq (8 h) for a year were estimated based on the measured noise levels and on the number of noise exposure days and hours in a year recorded in their work documents. The survey was made from July to December, 1988. The maximum noise levels with all the machines except a case of the forklift were above 100 dB, and with most chain saws they were above 110 dB. The amount of time that workers were exposed to the noise of logging and lumbering with chain saws, cutting by bush cleaners and timber-collecting cable machines without a cabin was longer than the allowable time for 90 dB and 95 dB. The number of noise exposure days in a year is fewer than reported in the past. The estimated Leq (8 h) for 32 out of 34 lumbermen surveyed was more than 85 dB, and for 5 lumbermen the Leq (8 h) was more than 90 dB. From these results, it can be concluded that there is a danger of noise induced hearing loss in national forestry workers using chain saws, log cutters, log cutting machines and timber-collecting cable machines without a cabin in 1987.

Forestry↗
PubMed1990

Occupational noise and demographic factors in hearing.

The effects of age, sex, socioeconomic background and noise exposure on hearing were examined in a population sample. Subjects, aged between 17 and 80 years, were selected from the electoral register using a stratified random sampling technique based on age and reported hearing difficulty. Exposure to occupational, social and gunfire noises was estimated retrospectively from a structured interview. Analysis of the audiograms of 2,162 subjects free from any material conductive impairment led to a simple model requiring only first-order factors of age, occupational group (manual or non-manual) and occupational noise exposure, but with parameters different for the two sexes. These models accounted for up to 58% of the variance in hearing threshold level (HTL), depending on frequency. It was not possible to separate out gunfire noise exposure as a factor because of a confounding effect of age. For females there was no significant effect of noise exposure, possibly owing to small numbers of noise-exposed females. The dependence of HTL on age agreed well with published literature, particularly for males. For males, noise exposure was associated with a modest increase in HTL, mainly between 3 and 6 kHz. The model was consistent with reported HTLs for males with equivalent noise exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Influence of vibration on asymptotic threshold shift produced by impulse noise.

Monaural chinchillas were exposed for 10 days to one of these conditions: (1) whole-body vibration (30 Hz, 1 g rms acceleration); (2) impact noise (113 dB peak SPL 1/s) or (3) a combination of whole-body vibration and impact noise. Thresholds were monitored before, during and after the exposure using the auditory-evoked response or behavioral conditioning techniques. Vibration alone had essentially no effect on threshold. Exposure to impact noise produced a stable asymptotic level of threshold shift 2-8 h after exposure onset. The asymptotic threshold shift was roughly 35 and 43 dB SPL at 0.5 and 8.0 kHz, respectively. Exposure to impact noise plus vibration produced an asymptotic threshold shift at 0.5 and 8.0 kHz that was approximately 10 dB greater than noise alone. The combination group also showed greater permanent threshold shifts and greater hair cell losses than the group exposed only to impact noise. The results imply that impact noise and whole-body vibration, at levels commonly found in industrial settings, can interact to increase the susceptibility of the chinchilla cochlea to noise-induced hearing loss.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Auditory detection, discrimination and speech processing in ageing, noise-sensitive and hearing-impaired listeners.

The aims of this research were to document changes in hearing and speech intelligibility in noise that occur with ageing, noise sensitivity, and progressive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Five groups defined by age, clinical complaint and degree of hearing loss were tested. Each of 73 subjects participated in nine different procedures, including detection in quiet and in continuous 90 dB SPL helicopter noise, frequency and duration discrimination, consonant recognition and word identification. The effects of different types of background noise and speech-to-noise ratio were investigated. Ageing, without concomitant hearing loss, resulted in significantly greater DLs both for frequency and for duration with a 20 ms standard at both 500 Hz and 4,000 Hz. Hearing loss, unconfounded by ageing, affected masked detection and frequency discrimination at 4,000 Hz and speech intelligibility in noise. The sole finding for subjects with noise sensitivity was an upward spread of masking for detection. Across tests, the best predictors of speech processing decrements were the detection thresholds for 2,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz in quiet or in noise.

Adult↗
PubMed2026

Noise-Induced Hepatic Stress Is Associated with Transglutaminase Activation and TG7 Upregulation in Rats.

OBJECTIVE: Environmental noise is increasingly recognized as a systemic stressor capable of inducing oxidative and inflammatory responses beyond the auditory system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic noise exposure on transglutaminase (TG) activation, particularly TG7, and its association with hepatic stress responses in rat liver tissue. METHODS: Thirty adult male Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to control, short-term noise exposure (LT1), and long-term noise exposure (LT2) groups. Gene expression of TG isoforms (TG1, TG2, TG3, TG6, and TG7), inflammatory markers (IL6 and TNF-&#x3b1;), and apoptotic markers (CASP3 and P53) was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR. Total TG enzymatic activity was assessed colorimetrically. TG7 protein expression and localization were examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. DNA integrity was evaluated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Biochemical parameters, including serum malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-1 beta (IL1&#x3b2;), cortisone, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol, were also measured. RESULTS: Noise exposure induced selective upregulation of TG isoforms, with TG7 showing the highest increase (&#x223c;10-12-fold). Total transglutaminase enzymatic activity was significantly increased in both noise-exposed groups, with a higher increase in LT1 (*** P < 0.001) and a significant increase in LT2 (** P < 0.01) compared with control, while no significant difference was observed between LT1 and LT2. IL6 and TNF-&#x3b1; increased progressively, particularly in LT2, whereas CASP3 expression was elevated in LT1 but reduced in LT2. DNA analysis revealed mild alterations in genomic integrity without clear internucleosomal fragmentation. TG7 protein showed strong localization within hepatocyte cytoplasm and perisinusoidal regions. Biochemical analysis demonstrated significant increases in MDA (up to 61.28%), IL1&#x3b2;, cortisone, liver enzymes, glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Chronic noise exposure induces early TG activation, particularly TG7, accompanied by sustained oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in liver tissue. These findings identify TG7 as a potential stress-responsive mediator in noise-induced hepatic injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Speech intelligibility in aircraft noise as a function of altitude.

UNLABELLED: Few studies have addressed physiological effects of altitude and noise combined, although these two factors are inherent parts of all aviation. Altitude effects on hearing function have mainly been studied using gas mixtures with reduced oxygen content. The results have been inconclusive. HYPOTHESIS: The present study was designed to assess the effect of altitude on speech intelligibility in aircraft noise. The primary hypothesis was that exposure to altitude would produce a detrimental, hypoxic effect on speech intelligibility in noise. METHODS: Eight male subjects with normal hearing were fitted with an aviation headset specially adapted for use with the audiometer. Pure-tone audiometry, as well as speech audiometry in noise, were performed at 0, 10,000, 13,000, and 16,000 ft simulated altitudes in a hypobaric chamber. The four test altitudes were performed double blind with respect to audiometry operator and test subject. Arterial blood gases where measured using an intra-arterial catheter. Tympanometric measurements verified full middle ear equilibration. Noise levels where monitored and logged throughout all experiments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A substantial increase in speech intelligibility in noise due to altitude was evident in our study. The physical effect of barometric pressure on noise causing an increased signal-to-noise ratio was found to greatly outweigh any possible hypoxic detrimental effect.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Assessment of the hearing system in workers chronically exposed to carbon disulfide and noise].

Epidemiological studies carried out in the years 1984-1993 revealed carbon disulfide (CS2) to be one of the major chemical occupational hazards. Whereas among physical factors, noise was found to be the most common threat. Industrial workers very often face a combined exposure of two or more factors, like CS2 and noise, responsible for significant biological risk to the human health, although health effects of such an exposure have not as yet been thoroughly recognized and explored. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the hearing system in people exposed to toxic effect of CS2, recognized as characteristic of an overall clinical history of chronic poisoning by this solvent, in cases of concomitant exposure to noise exceeding maximum allowable levels. The study covered 80 workers aged 44-65 years (mean = 44.9 +/- 5.1), employed in a spinning mill of viscose fibre for 20.3 years on average (+/- 5.4 years) with clinically observed chronic CS2 poisoning, and a group of 40 people (mean age = 56.8 years) exposed to CS2 but without subjective or objective symptoms indicating chronic poisoning by the solvent. Both groups of subjects at similar age and with almost the same duration of employment were exposed to CS2 in concentrations changing in time between 10 and 35 mg/m3 (mean concentration = 25.8 mg/m3), and to continuous noise with the level ranging from 88 to 92 dB(A) for six hrs per one shift. The control group was composed of 40 workers (mean age = 52.0 +/- 5.3 years) employed in the cotton industry plant, without contact with CS2 or other chemicals and working in the acoustic environment with similar level of exposure to noise (86-93 dB(A)). Audiological and electronystagmographic examinations revealed bilateral retrocochlear hearing impairment associated with symptoms of the central vestibular syndrome in 97.5 subjects with diagnosed chronic CS2 poisoning. In workers free from clinical symptoms of chronic CS2 poisoning, perceptive hearing impairment of various degrees was found, including retrocochlear in 45% of subjects and cochlear in 32.5%, while in 22.5% of those under study normal hearing was observed. In the control group of subjects exposed to noise without contact with CS2, sensorineural cochlear hearing loss, typical of chronic acoustic trauma without concomitant vestibular disorders, was revealed. The results of the study show that in subjects with diagnosed chronic CS2 poisoning and exposed to noise, hearing impairment and vestibular disorders occur in the form of central changes which suggests a dominating CS2 toxic effect on the hearing system. But in some people exposed to both CS2 and noise, the hearing impairment in localised in cochlea like in acoustic trauma damage. This probably depends on individual susceptibility to harmful effect of these factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Analytic study of noise].

This analysis examines the definition, origin, category, acoustic and psycho-acoustic properties and the quantitative and qualitative measurements of noise, allowing one to delineate the problems associated with such a disturbance. There are several definitions of sound, depending on the angle at which one considers the phenomenon: social, acoustic, psycho-acoustic or medical. The acoustic aspect determines its physical characteristics; the psycho-acoustic aspect deals specifically with its effect on the human ear. Noise assumes very different aspects: ambient, stable, fluctuating, intermittent, pulsing. It presents a disturbance depending on different factors: intensity, frequency, length of exposure, mode of arrival, evolution in time, acoustic characteristics. Over and above all these is added a factor of personal sensitivity, varying from one individual to another. Measurement of noise is performed with the help of an instrument called a sonometer, which records the level of the acoustic pressure, i.e. intensity. From this point, one can evaluate the magnitude of auditive disturbance, Leq. Measurement of human hearing has also been established. This is called audiometry. It allows one to assess the auditive value by drawing a graph: the audiogram. AFNOR has established a classification of noises to be found related to social life. Two broad categories: indoor noises, related to the activity in an apartment building and within the lives of its inhabitants, and outdoor noises, linked to traffic noise and its different forms, and to economic and social activity and noise produced by recreational pursuits.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1991

On the limitation of brainstem auditory evoked potentials for indication of susceptibility to noise.

The efficiency of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials (BAEP) as an indicator of susceptibility to hazardous noise was investigated. In earlier studies, subjects were exposed to very intense occupational noise and temporary threshold shift (TTS) was produced by high intensity noise of 115 dB. Correlations between experimental TTS and the BAEP changes were investigated. BAEP indices, which significant correlations with the eventual hearing loss, were found. Similar criteria, which were found significant in the earlier work, were investigated in 94 industrial workers with normal hearing, without past exposure to noise, using a more moderate TTS-producing noise of 110 dB SPL. Under these conditions, no significant correlation between the noise susceptibility index and BAEP changes during TTS was found. The results of this study demonstrate the limitation of determining individual susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss using BAEP. TTS-producing noise levels must be high enough. Their predictive value holds only for hearing losses typical of high intensity occupational exposures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Noise-induced stress as a predictor of burnout in critical care nurses.

In this study we found that, for 100 critical care nurses, noise-induced occupational stress was positively related to burnout as measured by Jones's Staff Burnout Scale for Health Professionals (r = 0.369, p less than 0.001) and the emotional exhaustion subscale of Maslach's Burnout Inventory (r = 0.300, p less than 0.01). Hierarchical multiple regressions confirmed these results once variance in burnout linked with life stressors and other occupational stressors was accounted for. Furthermore, an interaction term, noise-induced stress X intrinsic sensitivity to noise in the person, did not account for significant variance in burnout once independent variance linked with noise-induced stress was identified. That is, nurses with intrinsic sensitivity to noise were no more at risk for burnout linked with noise-induced stress than were less sensitive nurses. This result is discussed as evidence that there are exceptionally high levels of noise in critical care units. The critical care unit noises that are most distressing to nurses are identified and discussed in terms of stress theory.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Annoyance response to spectrally modified recorded aircraft noise during television-viewing.

Magnitude estimations of the annoyance of 27 individual noise stimuli were made by 24 Ss while viewing television; 8 different spectrum modifications of a basic aircraft noise were introduced at 3 overall intensities. The basic spectrum was that of an untreated commercial jet aircraft takeoff noise; the other 8 were created by removal of one of two amounts of energy from an octave band centerered at either .315, .8, 1.6, or 4 kc/s. An ANOVA showed significant annoyance differences for spectrum modification, overall noise intensity and their interaction. Annoyance reduction was greatest when energy was removed at the octave band centered at 1.6 kc/s, next at .8, and .315, and least at 4 kc/s. Although greater overall intensity reduction yielded progressively less annoyance with various spectrally-modified noises as well as unmodified noise, the spectrum modification was apparently most effective in reducing annoyance when the overall maximum noise intensity ranged from 88.0 to 89.1 dbA, and was least effective from 83.9 to 85.3 dbA. Annoyance reduction resulting from spectrum modification at a single octave band (centered at either .8 or 1.6 kc/s) was equivalent to that resulting from a 2.7 dbA overall intensity reduction. The results are discussed in terms of speech interference as well as intermodal effects of noise during television viewing.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Modern aspects of hygienic standardization of ship noise.

The basic aims of hygienic standardization of the long-term round-the-clock action of ship noise on the sailors include protection of health, prolonged professional activity, prevention of interference and provision of comfort conditions of rest. Neuro-emotional stress in the work of sailors aboard a ship has been another reason for starting the ship noise standardization. As a result of long-term hygienic, clinical, physiological, experimental and natural studies, there were established the hygienic significance of noise and vibration parameters, a combined increased effect of noise and work strain, as well as that of pitching and rolling, and also the potent combined effect of vibration and noise. During a 3-month voyage the cumulative effect of noise was identified and the physiological significance of acoustic comfort of post-watch rest was ascertained. The relation of sailors' health to ship acoustic conditions was determined. The obtained results served as a scientific motivation for a number of Soviet legislative documents. Unification of physiological and hygienic criteria and methods of assessment of noise and vibration effects meets the interests of protection of seamen's health in CMEA countries.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2003

An investigation of noise levels in Alberta sawmills.

BACKGROUND: Noise exposure in the sawmill industry is an area of concern. This study documents the level of noise exposure in nine sawmills in the province of Alberta, Canada. METHODS: Personal noise monitoring data were collected in nine Alberta sawmills, in winter and in summer (n = 213). Exposures were considered in light of an estimated "real world" noise reduction rating (NRR) calculation assuming use of conventional hearing protection. Limited comparisons were made with spot area monitoring data. RESULTS: Only 10% of the personal monitoring measurements were below the Alberta 8-hr exposure limit of 85 dBA. Twenty-seven percent of the personal monitoring measurements were 95 dBA or higher. Worker enclosures played a large role in reducing noise exposure. There were no significant differences between seasons in noise category distributions (P = 0.61). The planermen and planer infeed operators had the highest percentage of personal monitoring measurements 95 dBA or higher (62% and 82%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on a conservative formula, a risk of excess noise exposure could exist even when wearing required hearing protection due to very high noise levels found in planing operations in sawmills.

Alberta↗
PubMed1983

Airport noise exposure and the postnatal growth of children.

To determine whether chronic exposure to airport noise affects children, a study was conducted of the physical growth of children, aged 5-13 years, from two communities, one exposed to airport noise (n = 148) and another, not exposed (n = 102). Ten standard anthropometric measurements were made according to U.S. Health Examination Survey guidelines, and information on the social and biological characteristics of each family was collected in interviews. Hotelling's T2-tests were performed comparing the noise-exposed and nonnoise-exposed samples. There was no significant difference between the sample for measurements of social and biological characteristics of the families (including socioeconomic status and maternal reproductive history). Parental anthropometrics differed significantly (T2 = 24.32, P = 0.0001) as did child anthropometrics (T2 = 21.01, P = 0.032). For the child anthropometrics, noise-exposed children's slightly smaller measures of body bulk, together with their larger facial breadths, contributed to the significant T2. When the entire sample (n = 250) was analyzed by multiple linear regression, noise exposure was a significant predictor only of male triceps and subscapular skinfolds. For these two variables, and most other anthropometrics, however, the beta coefficients were negative for both sexes. In order to include information on the covariance structure among all variables, a canonical correlation analysis was performed. Noise exposure loaded negatively on the third canonical variate and was paired with positively loaded measures of body bulk. Taken together, the three analyses suggest that while there is some evidence for a slight effect of airport noise on measures of body bulk for males in this sample, most measures of postnatal growth for both males and females were unaffected by the noise levels experienced.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Proinflammatory cytokines expression in noise-induced damaged cochlea.

Recent studies have showed that inflammatory responses occur in inner ear under various damaging conditions including noise-overstimulation. We evaluated the time-dependent expression of proinflammatory cytokines in noise-exposed rat cochlea. Among several detected cytokines, real-time RT-PCR showed that interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly induced 3 hr after noise exposure, and quickly downregulated to the basal level. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was also slightly upregulated immediately after noise exposure. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that IL-6 expression was distinctively induced within the lateral side of the spiral ligament. Sequential expression analysis showed that IL-6 immunoreactivity was initially found in the cytoplasm of lateral wall cells, including Type IV and III fibrocytes, and expanded broader throughout the lateral wall, finally to the stria vascularis. Because of the negative Iba-1 staining, IL-6 expression in the early-phase was not due to macrophage or microglia activation. IL-6 was also detected in spiral ganglion neurons at 12 and 24 hr after noise exposure. Our data demonstrates the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6, in early phase of noise overstimulated cochlea. IL-6 expression was observed in the spiral ligament, stria vascularis, and spiral ganglion neurons. These cytokines, produced by the cochlear structure itself in response to noise exposure, may initiate an inflammatory response and have some role in the mechanism of noise-induced cochlear damage.

Animals↗