QUANTITATIVE MODELLING OF ACOUSTIC EXPOSURE AND AUDITORY HEALTH: RISK PATTERNS, SYMPTOM ASSOCIATIONS, AND PREDICTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/cdpm5w36Keywords:
lifetime noise exposure, auditory health, high-frequency hearing loss, auditory brainstem response, speech-in-noise performanceAbstract
Although acoustic exposure is a significant factor in auditory dysfunction, it can also cause changes beyond what has traditionally been considered "hearing threshold" and involve neural and functional auditory processing. Multiple indicators of auditory health were quantitatively correlated with lifetime noise exposure in this study with assessments of frequency-specific hearing loss, auditory brainstem response (ABR) measures, and speech-in-noise (SIN). Data on 74 participants were analysed for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, comparison of groups and multivariable linear regression. Positive correlation of lifetime noise exposure was statistically significant for higher high-frequency hearing loss and lower amplitude of the auditory brainstem response Wave I. When the effects of demographic factors were accounted for, age was the most important factor associated with high- and extended-high-frequency hearing loss, while lifetime noise exposure was still independently associated with decreased amplitude of Wave I. The hearing loss at high frequency and attentional performance were significant contributors to speech-in-noise performance, but not lifetime acoustic exposure. The results suggest that the accumulated acoustic exposure can have specificity in neural auditory function in the periphery and early neural function, but not necessarily in all aspects of hearing. Therefore, a multidimensional approach using exposure history, hearing thresholds, electrophysiological responses and functional listening measures might be more comprehensive in identifying subtle noise-related auditory risk. More extensive longitudinal research is needed to establish cause-and-effect relationships and the predictive capacity.
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