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International Journal of Environmental... Aug 2022This study aimed to assess temporary and permanent auditory effects associated with occupational coexposure to low levels of noise and solvents. Cross-sectional study...
This study aimed to assess temporary and permanent auditory effects associated with occupational coexposure to low levels of noise and solvents. Cross-sectional study with 25 printing industry workers simultaneously exposed to low noise (<80 dBA TWA) and low levels of solvents. The control group consisted of 29 industry workers without the selected exposures. Participants answered a questionnaire and underwent auditory tests. Auditory fatigue was measured by comparing the acoustic reflex threshold before and after the workday. Workers coexposed to solvents and noise showed significantly worse results in auditory tests in comparison with the participants in the control group. Auditory brainstem response results showed differences in III−V interpeak intervals (p = 0.046 in right ear; p = 0.039 in left ear). Mean dichotic digits scores (exposed = 89.5 ± 13.33; controls = 96.40 ± 4.46) were only different in the left ear (p = 0.054). The comparison of pre and postacoustic reflex testing indicated mean differences (p = 0.032) between the exposed (4.58 ± 6.8) and controls (0 ± 4.62) groups. This study provides evidence of a possible temporary effect (hearing fatigue) at the level of the acoustic reflex of the stapedius muscle. The permanent effects were identified mainly at the level of the high brainstem and in the auditory ability of binaural integration.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Hearing Disorders; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Humans; Industry; Noise, Occupational; Occupational Exposure; Solvents
PubMed: 36011533
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19169894 -
Journal of Pathology Informatics Dec 2024Laboratory testing can provide information useful to promote patient health literacy and ultimately patient well-being. The human state of mind involves not only... (Review)
Review
Laboratory testing can provide information useful to promote patient health literacy and ultimately patient well-being. The human state of mind involves not only cognition but also emotion and motivation factors when receiving, processing, and acting upon information. The cognitive load for patients acquiring and processing new information is high. Modes of distribution can affect both attention to and receipt of information. Implicit unconscious biases can affect whom and what patients believe. Positive wording and framing of information with salience for patients can evoke positive emotions. Providing patients with the gist, or essential meaning, of information can positively influence decision-making. What laboratorians provide as information helps to combat mis- and disinformation. Laboratorians can actively participate in measures to improve the patient experience in health care by developing and contributing to high-quality information to enable timely, meaningful communication and interpretation of test results.
PubMed: 38075016
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpi.2023.100349 -
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of... Nov 2022To analyze the vocal self-perception of individuals who wore face masks for essential activities and those who wore them for professional and essential activities during... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the vocal self-perception of individuals who wore face masks for essential activities and those who wore them for professional and essential activities during the coronavirus disease pandemic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The study included 468 individuals who were stratified into two groups: the Working Group, comprising individuals who wore face masks for professional and essential activities during the pandemic; and the Essential Activities Group, with individuals who wore face masks only for essential activities during the pandemic. The outcome measures tested were self-perception of vocal fatigue, vocal tract discomfort, vocal effort, speech intelligibility, auditory feedback, and coordination between speech and breathing. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed.
RESULTS
Face masks increased the perception of vocal effort, difficulty in speech intelligibility, auditory feedback, and difficulty in coordinating speech and breathing, irrespective of usage. Individuals who wore face masks for professional and essential activities had a greater perception of symptoms of vocal fatigue and discomfort, vocal effort, difficulties in speech intelligibility, and in coordinating speech and breathing.
CONCLUSION
Use of face masks increases the perception of vocal symptoms and discomfort, especially in individuals who wore it for professional and essential activities.
Topics: Humans; Masks; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pandemics; Voice Disorders; Speech Intelligibility; Self Concept
PubMed: 33011037
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.09.006 -
Psychological Science Dec 2021Listening-related fatigue is a potentially serious negative consequence of an aging auditory and cognitive system. However, the impact of age on listening-related...
Listening-related fatigue is a potentially serious negative consequence of an aging auditory and cognitive system. However, the impact of age on listening-related fatigue and the factors underpinning any such effect remain unexplored. Using data from a large sample of adults ( = 281), we conducted a conditional process analysis to examine potential mediators and moderators of age-related changes in listening-related fatigue. Mediation analyses revealed opposing effects of age on listening-related fatigue: Older adults with greater perceived hearing impairment tended to report increased listening-related fatigue. However, aging was otherwise associated with decreased listening-related fatigue via reductions in both mood disturbance and sensory-processing sensitivity. Results suggested that the effect of auditory attention ability on listening-related fatigue was moderated by sensory-processing sensitivity; for individuals with high sensory-processing sensitivity, better auditory attention ability was associated with increased fatigue. These findings shed light on the perceptual, cognitive, and psychological factors underlying age-related changes in listening-related fatigue.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Auditory Perception; Fatigue; Humans; Longevity; Speech Perception
PubMed: 34751602
DOI: 10.1177/09567976211016410 -
Autism & Developmental Language... 2022Humans communicate primarily through spoken language and speech perception is a core function of the human auditory system. Among the autistic community, atypical...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Humans communicate primarily through spoken language and speech perception is a core function of the human auditory system. Among the autistic community, atypical sensory reactivity and social communication difficulties are pervasive, yet the research literature lacks in-depth self-report data on speech perception in this population. The present study aimed to elicit detailed first-person accounts of autistic individuals' abilities and difficulties perceiving the spoken word.
METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine autistic adults. The interview schedule addressed interviewees' experiences of speech perception, factors influencing those experiences, and responses to those experiences. Resulting interview transcripts underwent thematic analysis. The six-person study team included two autistic researchers, to reduce risk of neurotypical 'overshadowing' of autistic voices.
RESULTS
Most interviewees reported pronounced difficulties perceiving speech in the presence of competing sounds. They emphasised that such listening difficulties are distinct from social difficulties, though the two can add and interact. Difficulties were of several varieties, ranging from powerful auditory distraction to drowning out of voices by continuous sounds. Contributing factors encompassed not only features of the soundscape but also non-acoustic factors such as multisensory processing and social cognition. Participants also identified compounding factors, such as lack of understanding of listening difficulties. Impacts were diverse and sometimes disabling, affecting socialising, emotions, fatigue, career, and self-image. A wide array of coping mechanisms was described.
CONCLUSIONS
The first in-depth qualitative investigation of autistic speech-perception experiences has revealed diverse and widespread listening difficulties. These can combine with other internal, interpersonal, and societal factors to induce profound impacts. Lack of understanding of such listening difficulties - by the self, by communication partners, by institutions, and especially by clinicians - appears to be a crucial exacerbating factor. Many autistic adults have developed coping strategies to lessen speech-perception difficulties or mitigate their effects, and these are generally self-taught due to lack of clinical support.
IMPLICATIONS
There is a need for carefully designed, adequately powered confirmatory research to verify, quantify, and disentangle the various forms of listening difficulty, preferably using large samples to explore heterogeneity. More immediate benefit might be obtained through development of self-help and clinical guidance materials, and by raising awareness of autistic listening experiences and needs, among the autistic community, communication partners, institutions, and clinicians.
PubMed: 36382084
DOI: 10.1177/23969415221077532 -
International Archives of... Jan 2022Parkinson disease (PD) is a degenerative and progressive neurological disorder characterized by resting tremor, stiffness, bradykinesia, and postural instability.... (Review)
Review
Parkinson disease (PD) is a degenerative and progressive neurological disorder characterized by resting tremor, stiffness, bradykinesia, and postural instability. Despite the motor symptoms, PD patients also consistently show cognitive impairment or executive dysfunction. The auditory event-related potential P300 has been described as the best indicator of mental function, being highly dependent on cognitive skills, including attention and discrimination. To review the literature on the application and findings of P300 as an indicator of PD. The samples ranged from 7 to 166 individuals. Young adult and elderly male patients composed most study samples. The Mini-Mental State Examination test, the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, and the Hoehn and Yahr Scale were used to assess neurological and cognitive function. In terms of testing hearing function, few studies have focused on parameters other than the P300. The factors we focused on were how the P300 was modified by cognitive effects, its correlation with different PD scales, the effect of performing dual tasks, the effect of fatigue, and the influence of drug treatments. The use of the P300 appears to be an effective assessment tool in patients with PD. This event-related potential seems to correlate well with other neurocognitive tests that measure key features of the disease.
PubMed: 35096174
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1722250 -
Otology & Neurotology : Official... Oct 2021To determine whether children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) experience similar levels fatigue as children with bilateral hearing loss (BHL) or normal-hearing (NH).
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) experience similar levels fatigue as children with bilateral hearing loss (BHL) or normal-hearing (NH).
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.
SETTING
Two tertiary care otolaryngology practices.
PARTICIPANTS
Children, 5 to 18 years old, with UHL or BHL and their parents.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS) survey.
RESULTS
Overall response rate was 90/384 (23%). Mean age of child participants was 10.7 years old (standard deviations [SD] 3.1); 38 (42%) were men and 52 (58%) were women. Sixty-nine (77%) children had UHL, 21 (23%) had BHL. Children with BHL (mean 65, SD 21) and UHL (mean 75, SD 17) reported greater levels of fatigue than children with NH (BHL difference -15, 95% confidence interval [CI] -25 to -5; UHL difference -6, 95% CI -13-1.2). Parent-proxy reports for children with BHL (mean 67, SD 20) and UHL (mean 76, SD 20) reported more fatigue than NH (BHL difference -22, 95% CI -33 to -12; UHL difference -14; 95% CI -20 to -8). Sub-section scores for general, sleep, and cognitive fatigue were higher for children with BHL and UHL than NH.
CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE
Children with UHL and BHL reported significantly more fatigue than children with NH, and children with BHL reported more fatigue than UHL. These findings underscore the need to increase auditory rehabilitation and educational resources for children with UHL and support the use of the PedsQL MFS questionnaire as a measure to follow disability experienced by children with HL as they undergo hearing rehabilitation.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hearing; Hearing Loss, Bilateral; Hearing Loss, Unilateral; Hearing Tests; Humans; Male
PubMed: 34149026
DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000003225 -
International Journal of Audiology 2021Well-being is influenced by the activities we undertake. Hearing loss may reduce well-being directly through increased listening-related fatigue due to cognitive and... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Well-being is influenced by the activities we undertake. Hearing loss may reduce well-being directly through increased listening-related fatigue due to cognitive and emotional strain in challenging situations. Hearing loss and hearing device use may also indirectly impact fatigue and well-being by altering the frequency and type of daily-life activities. This review examines the available literature to help understand the relationships.
DESIGN
We provide (i) a summary of the extant literature regarding hearing loss, hearing device use and fatigue in adults, as well as regarding fatigue and daily-life activity (work, social and physical) and (ii) a systematic search and narrative review of the relationships between hearing loss, hearing device use and activity.
STUDY SAMPLE
The systematic search resulted in 66 eligible texts.
RESULTS
Data examining well-being in persons with hearing loss are limited. Our literature review suggests that well-being can be related directly and indirectly to hearing loss, hearing device use, activity level and listening-related fatigue.
CONCLUSIONS
Variations and interactions between hearing loss, hearing device use, fatigue and activity levels can be expected to impact well-being in persons with hearing loss in direct and indirect ways. Future research linking hearing and daily-life fatigue should take account of activity levels.
Topics: Adult; Auditory Perception; Deafness; Fatigue; Hearing; Hearing Aids; Hearing Loss; Humans
PubMed: 33390065
DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2020.1853261 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023COVID-19 may result in persistent symptoms in the post-acute phase, including cognitive and neurological ones. The aim of this study is to investigate the cognitive and...
BACKGROUND
COVID-19 may result in persistent symptoms in the post-acute phase, including cognitive and neurological ones. The aim of this study is to investigate the cognitive and neurological features of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 evaluated in the post-acute phase through a direct neuropsychological evaluation.
METHODS
Individuals recovering from COVID-19 were assessed in an out-patient practice with a complete neurological evaluation and neuropsychological tests (Mini-Mental State Examination; Rey Auditory Verbal Test, Multiple Feature Target Cancellation Test, Trial Making Test, Digit Span Forward and Backward, and Frontal Assessment Battery). Pre- and post-COVID-19 global and mental health status was assessed along with the history of the acute phase of infection. Post-COVID-19 cognitive status was modeled by combining persistent self-reported COVID-related cognitive symptoms and pathologic neuropsychological tests.
RESULTS
A total of 406 individuals (average age 54.5 ± 15.1 years, 45.1% women) were assessed on average at 97.8 ± 48.0 days since symptom onset. Persistent self-reported neurological symptoms were found in the areas of sleep (32%), attention (31%), and memory (22%). The MMSE mean score was 28.6. In total, 84 subjects (20.7%) achieved pathologic neuropsychological test results. A high prevalence of failed tests was found in digit span backward (18.7%), trail making (26.6%), and frontal assessment battery (10.9%). Cognitive status was associated with a number of factors including cardiovascular disease history, persistent fatigue, female sex, age, anxiety, and mental health stress.
CONCLUSION
COVID-19 is capable of eliciting persistent measurable neurocognitive alterations particularly relevant in the areas of attention and working memory. These neurocognitive disorders have been associated with some potentially treatable factors and others that may stratify risk at an early stage.
PubMed: 37492442
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1136667 -
International Anesthesiology Clinics 2019
Review
Topics: Anesthesiology; Auditory Fatigue; Clinical Competence; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Manikins; Medical Errors; Patient Care Team; Patient Safety; Quality Improvement; Simulation Training; Sleep Deprivation
PubMed: 31577239
DOI: 10.1097/AIA.0000000000000240