bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Noise and Chemical Exposure on Peripheral and Central Auditory Pathways in Normal-hearing Workers
Authors: Trabanco Júlio CS , Morita Bruno , Matas Carla Gentile , de Paiva Karina Mary , Moreira Renata R , Sanches Seisse GG , Samelli Alessandra G 
Published: September 2024

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.
Validation of Persian Version of Hyperacusis Questionnaire
Authors: Kashani Masoud Motalebi , Dehabadi Peyman Khaleghi , Karamali Fahimeh , Akbari Hossein 
Published: September 2024

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.
Contralateral Suppression of Transient-evoked Otoacoustic Emissions in Leisure Noise Exposed Individuals
Authors: Elangovan Thilagaswarna , Selvarajan Heramba Ganapathy , McPherson Bradley 
Published: September 2024

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.
Residential Traffic Noise Exposure and Headaches
Authors: Alkhalawi Eman , Orban Ester , Schramm Sara , Katsarava Zaza , Hoffmann Barbara , Moebus Susanne 
Published: September 2024

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.
Impact of Noise Exposure on Risk of Developing Stress-Related Obstetric Health Effects
Authors: Sivakumaran Kapeena , Ritonja Jennifer A. , Waseem Haya , AlShenaibar Leena , Morgan Elissa , Ahmadi Salman A. , Denning Allison , Michaud David , Morgan Rebecca L. 
Published: September 2024

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.
London Heliport
Authors: Dance Stephen M. , Gomez-Agustina Luis 
Published: September 2024

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.
Negative Effect of High-Level Infrasound on Human Myocardial Contractility
Authors: Chaban Ryan , Ghazy Ahmed , Georgiade Eleni , Stumpf Nicole , Vahl Christian-Friedrich 
Published: September 2024

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.
Effect of Constraint-Induced Music Therapy in Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Vasiwala Rafiq Ahmed , Elhariri Sherreen Y. , Teng Cheong Lieng , Mohamad Irfan 
Published: September 2024

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.
Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Screening for Early Stages of High-frequency Hearing Loss in Adolescents
Authors: Paping Danique E. , van der Schroef Marc , Helleman Hiske W. , Goedegebure André , Baatenburg de Jong Rob J. , Vroegop Jantien L. 
Published: September 2024

Objective:
Adolescents may be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss due to recreational sound. The aim of this study was to examine the role of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) in screening for early stages of high-frequency loss such as can be observed in noise-induced hearing loss.

Setting and design:
This cross-sectional study was embedded within Generation R, an ongoing prospective birth cohort study in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Data were collected from April 2016 to September 2019.

Methods:
A total of 3456 adolescents with a mean age of 13 years and 8 months old (standard deviation ± 5 months) were included. Pure-tone thresholds were measured in a sound-treated booth. DPOAEs were recorded using an ILO V6 analyzer with primary levels of 65/55 dB SPL and frequency ratio f
2/f
1 of 1.22. Subjects had normal middle ear function at the time of assessment, based on tympanometry results.

Results:
Measurements in 6065 ears showed that DPOAE levels tend to decrease with increasing pure-tone thresholds. However, the intersubject variability of DPOAE levels in ears with the same threshold was large. DPOAE levels could reasonably identify early stages of high-frequency hearing loss.

Conclusion:
The findings of present study indicate that DPOAE measurements can potentially be used for adolescents hearing screening in the high frequencies. Future research is needed to optimize test performance.
The Proposed Criteria for High Perceived Misophonia in Young Healthy Adults and the Association Between Misophonia Symptoms and Noise Sensitivity
Authors: Paunovic Katarina Ž , Milenković Sanja M. 
Published: September 2024

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.
Acute Onset of Tinnitus in Patients with Sudden Deafness
Authors: Cvorovic Ljiljana , Arsovic Nenad , Radivojevic Nemanja , Soldatovic Ivan , Hegemann Stefan C.A. 
Published: September 2024

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.
Determination of a Cutoff for Noise Sensitivity
Authors: Alniacik Asuman , Çakmak Eda 
Published: September 2024

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[FIGURE DASH]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[FIGURE DASH]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 (χ
2 = 1361.06, df = 546, P < 0.001), χ
2 / 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.