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Skoe E, Powell S. Hypoactivation of the central auditory system in listeners who are hypertolerant of background noise. J Neurophysiol 2024; 132:1074-1084. [PMID: 39081211 PMCID: PMC11427039 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00297.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Listeners exhibit varying levels of tolerance for background noise during speech communication. It has been proposed that low tolerance of background noise may be the consequence of abnormally amplified gain in the central auditory system (CAS). Here, using a dataset of young adults with normal hearing thresholds, we asked whether central gain mechanisms might also explain cases of hypertolerance of background noise, as well as cases of reduced, but not abnormal, tolerance. We used the auditory brainstem response to derive a measure of CAS gain (wave V/wave I ratio) to compare listeners' background noise tolerance while listening to speech, grouping them into three categories: hyper, high, and medium tolerance. We found that hypertolerant listeners had reduced CAS gain compared to those with high tolerance. This effect was driven by wave V not wave I. In addition, the medium tolerant listeners trended toward having reduced wave I and reduced wave V amplitudes and generally higher levels of exposure to loud sound, suggestive of the early stages of noise-compromised peripheral function without an apparent compensatory increase in central gain. Our results provide physiological evidence that 1) reduced CAS gain may account for hypertolerance of background noise but that 2) increased CAS gain is not a prerequisite for medium tolerance of background noise.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our findings strengthen the proposed mechanistic connection between background noise tolerance and auditory physiology by suggesting a link between hypertolerance and reduced central auditory gain, measured by the auditory brainstem response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Skoe
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
| | - Sarah Powell
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
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Lee SH, Kim AR, Lee J. Effects of noise exposure on stress hormone changes during task performance in young Korean men: quasi-experimental study. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2024; 87:605-615. [PMID: 38721994 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2024.2352122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Numerous studies have suggested that noise exposure might be associated with changes in stress hormone levels. However, quantitative evidence for these effects in humans is rare and remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of exposure to noise and its different levels on stress hormone changes in task performance. Quasi-experimental noise exposure environment was established for 90 male university student volunteers in their twenties, and each was exposed to different noise levels during task performance. The stress hormones tested included cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), adrenaline, and noradrenaline. A one-way ANOVA was performed to investigate differences in hormone levels measured in the three groups according to the noise exposure levels (35, 45, or 75 dB). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to adjust for confounding factors that might affect hormone levels. After adjusting for confounders, significant exposure-dependent differences were found in hormone levels in salivary cortisol, serum cortisol, serum ACTH, and serum adrenaline. The amount of hormonal increase in 75 dB exposure group compared to 35 or 45 dB groups was detected. Similar results were also seen in the rate of change analysis. Our findings indicate that short-term noise exposure during task performance elevates stress hormone levels. Further, the extent of stress hormone alterations varies with noise exposure levels. Changes in hormone levels are an objective measure that may be used to identify health effects and stress responses in various noise environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Hee Lee
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - A-Ram Kim
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Jiho Lee
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, South Korea
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Radun J, Maula H, Tervahartiala IK, Rajala V, Schlittmeier S, Hongisto V. The effects of irrelevant speech on physiological stress, cognitive performance, and subjective experience - Focus on heart rate variability. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 200:112352. [PMID: 38641017 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Irrelevant speech impairs cognitive performance, especially in tasks requiring verbal short-term memory. Working on these tasks during irrelevant speech can also cause a physiological stress reaction. The aim of this study was to examine heart rate variability (HRV) as a non-invasive and easy-to-use stress measure in an irrelevant speech paradigm. Thirty participants performed cognitive tasks (n-back and serial recall) during two sound conditions: irrelevant speech (50 dB) and quiet (33 dB steady-state noise). The influence of conditions as well as presentation orders of conditions were examined on performance, subjective experience, and physiological stress. Working during irrelevant speech compared to working during quiet reduced performance, namely accuracy, in the serial recall task. It was more annoying, heightened the perceived workload, and lowered acoustic satisfaction. It was related to higher physiological stress by causing faster heart rate and changes in HRV frequency-domain analysis (LF, HF and LF/HF). The order of conditions showed some additional effects. When speech was the first condition, 3-back performance was less accurate, and serial recall response times were longer, heart rate was faster, and successive heart beats had less variability (lower RMSSD) during speech than during quiet. When quiet was the first condition, heart rate was faster and reaction times in 3-back were slower during quiet than during speech. The negative effect of irrelevant speech was clear in experience, performance, and physiological stress. The study shows that HRV can be used as a physiological stress measure in irrelevant speech studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Radun
- Psychophysics Laboratory, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku, Finland.
| | - Henna Maula
- Psychophysics Laboratory, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Ville Rajala
- Psychophysics Laboratory, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Valtteri Hongisto
- Psychophysics Laboratory, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku, Finland
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Laufs C, Herweg A, Antink CH. Methods and evaluation of physiological measurements with acoustic stimuli-a systematic review. Physiol Meas 2023; 44:11TR01. [PMID: 37857312 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/ad0516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Objective. The detection of psychological loads, such as stress reactions, is receiving greater attention and social interest, as stress can have long-term effects on health O'Connor, Thayer and Vedhara (2021Ann. Rev. Psychol.72, 663-688). Acoustic stimuli, especially noise, are investigated as triggering factors. The application of physiological measurements in the detection of psychological loads enables the recording of a further quantitative dimension that goes beyond purely perceptive questionnaires. Thus, unconscious reactions to acoustic stimuli can also be captured. The numerous physiological signals and possible experimental designs with acoustic stimuli may quickly lead to a challenging implementation of the study and an increased difficulty in reproduction or comparison between studies. An unsuitable experimental design or processing of the physiological data may result in conclusions about psychological loads that are not valid anymore.Approach. The systematic review according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis standard presented here is therefore intended to provide guidance and a basis for further studies in this field. For this purpose, studies were identified in which the participants' short-term physiological responses to acoustic stimuli were investigated in the context of a listening test in a laboratory study.Main Results. A total of 37 studies met these criteria and data items were analysed in terms of the experimental design (studied psychological load, independent variables/acoustic stimuli, participants, playback, scenario/context, duration of test phases, questionnaires for perceptual comparison) and the physiological signals (measures, calculated features, systems, data processing methods, data analysis methods, results). The overviews show that stress is the most studied psychological load in response to acoustic stimuli. An ECG/PPG system and the measurement of skin conductance were most frequently used for the detection of psychological loads. A critical aspect is the numerous different methods of experimental design, which prevent comparability of the results. In the future, more standardized methods are needed to achieve more valid analyses of the effects of acoustic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Laufs
- HEAD acoustics GmbH, Ebertstraße 30a, D-52134, Herzogenrath, Germany
- KIS*MED (AI-Systems in Medicine), TU Darmstadt, Merckstraße 25, D-64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas Herweg
- HEAD acoustics GmbH, Ebertstraße 30a, D-52134, Herzogenrath, Germany
| | - Christoph Hoog Antink
- KIS*MED (AI-Systems in Medicine), TU Darmstadt, Merckstraße 25, D-64283 Darmstadt, Germany
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Donelli D, Lazzeroni D, Rizzato M, Antonelli M. Silence and its effects on the autonomic nervous system: A systematic review. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023; 280:103-144. [PMID: 37714570 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
This systematic review explores the influence of silence on the autonomic nervous system. The Polyvagal Theory has been used as a reference model to describe the autonomic nervous system by explaining its role in emotional regulation, social engagement, and adaptive physiological responses. PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were systematically searched up until July 2023 for relevant studies. The literature search yielded 511 results, and 37 studies were eventually included in this review. Silence affects the autonomic nervous system differently based on whether it is inner or outer silence. Inner silence enhances activity of the ventral vagus, favoring social engagement, and reducing sympathetic nervous system activity and physiological stress. Outer silence, conversely, can induce a heightened state of alertness, potentially triggering vagal brake removal and sympathetic nervous system activation, though with training, it can foster inner silence, preventing such activation. The autonomic nervous system response to silence can also be influenced by other factors such as context, familiarity with silence, presence and quality of outer noise, and empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Donelli
- Division of Cardiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Davide Lazzeroni
- Prevention and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Don Gnocchi, Parma, Italy
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Sivakumaran K, Ritonja JA, Waseem H, AlShenaiber L, Morgan E, Ahmadi SA, Denning A, Michaud D, Morgan RL. Impact of Noise Exposure on Risk of Developing Stress-Related Metabolic Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Noise Health 2022; 24:215-230. [PMID: 36537446 PMCID: PMC10088431 DOI: 10.4103/nah.nah_21_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Exposure to noise can increase biological stress reactions, which may increase adverse health effects, including metabolic disorders; however, the certainty in the association between exposure to noise and metabolic outcomes has not been widely explored. The objective of this review is to evaluate the evidence between noise exposures and metabolic effects. Materials and Methods A systematic review of English and comparative studies available in PubMed, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases between January 1, 1980 and December 29, 2021 was performed. Risk of Bias of Nonrandomized Studies of Exposures was used to assess risk of bias of individual studies and certainty of the body of evidence for each outcome was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Results Fifty-six primary studies reporting on cortisol, cholesterol levels, waist circumference, glucose levels, and adrenaline and/or noradrenaline were identified. Although meta-analyses suggested that there may be an increase in waist circumference and adrenaline with increased noise exposure, the certainty in the evidence is very low. Overall, the certainty in the evidence of an effect of increased noise on all the outcomes were low to very low due to concerns with risk of bias, inconsistency across exposure sources, populations, and studies, and imprecision in the estimates of effects. Conclusions The certainty of the evidence of increased noise on metabolic effects was low to very low, which likely reflects the inability to compare across the totality of the evidence for each outcome. The findings from this review may be used to inform policies involving noise reduction and mitigation strategies, and to direct further research in areas that currently have limited evidence available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kapeena Sivakumaran
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Evidence Foundation, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Ritonja
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Haya Waseem
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Evidence Foundation, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Leena AlShenaiber
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Evidence Foundation, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Elissa Morgan
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Evidence Foundation, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Salman A. Ahmadi
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allison Denning
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebecca L. Morgan
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Evidence Foundation, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA
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