Abstract:This study describes the prevalence and characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in student musicians (N = 329) aged 18-25 years. Students completed a questionnaire regarding exposures before a hearing assessment. NIHL was defined by the presence of a notch 15 dB in depth at 4000 or 6000 Hz relative to the best preceding threshold. Overall prevalence of NIHL was 45%, with 78% of notches occurring at 6000 Hz. The proportion of the total population with bilateral notching at any frequency was 11.5%, mostly occurring at 6000 Hz. There was a significant increase in the frequency of notching in students who reported more than two hours per day of personal practice. There were no significant associations for instrument group or other noise exposures. The data suggest that susceptibility to NIHL among students of music is not uniform and cannot be ascribed solely to the instrument played and other exposures. Students with bilateral losses tend to have deeper notches and may represent a group that has an inherent predisposition to NIHL. SumarioEste estudio describe la prevalencia y las características de la hipoacusia inducida por ruido (NIHL) en estudiantes de música (N = 329) con edades entre 18 y 25 años. Los estudiantes completaron un cuestionario sobre exposición a ruido antes de la evaluación auditiva. Se definió NIHL como la presencia de una muesca de 15dB en 4000 o 6000Hz con relación al mejor umbral precedente. La prevalencia general de NIHL fue de 44%, con 78% de las muescas en 6,000 Hz. La proporción de la población total con muescas bilaterales en cualquier frecuencia fue de 11.5%, en su mayoría a 6,000 Hz. Hubo un incremento significativo en la frecuencia de la muescas en los estudiantes que reportaban más de dos horas al día de práctica profesional. No hubo una asociación significativa con grupos de instrumentos u otra exposición a ruido. Los datos sugieren que la susceptibilidad a NIHL entre los estudiantes de música no es uniforme y no puede atribuirse solamente al instrumento tocado o a otras exposiciones. Los estudiantes con pérdida bilateral tienden a tener muescas más profundas y pueden representar un grupo que tenga una predisposición inherente a la NIHL.Keywords: Noise-induced hearing loss, Music-related hearing loss, Prevalence of hearing loss, Predisposition Article:Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most prevalent sensorineural hearing loss after presbycusis. Prevalence of NIHL increases with continued exposure and advancing age. The prevention of NIHL will require a better understanding of its prevalence in the population and contributing exposure factors.NIHL can be caused by a single traumatic impulse sound but is more typically caused by repeated exposures to high intensity sound. According to NIOSH recommendations for the prevention of NIHL, high intensity sound exposure involves a time-intensity trade-off that begins with an allowable eight-hour exposure at 85 dBA, decreasing the time exposed by half for every three dB increase in intensity. Sound exposure measur...

The purpose of this study was to examine how well individuals were able to identify different music genres from very brief excerpts and whether musical training, gender and preference played a role in genre identification. Listeners were asked to identify genre from classical, jazz, country, metal, and rap/hip hop excerpts that were 125, 250, 500, or 1000 ms in length. Participants (N = 347), students recruited from three college campuses in the southeast region of the USA, were found to be quite successful in identifying the genre of brief excerpts, even at 125 ms. Length of excerpt significantly affected participants' ability to identify genre with longer time lengths leading to greater accuracy. Classical, metal, and rap/hip hop excerpts were correctly identified more often than were country or jazz excerpts. Further, there were many distinct interactions across lengths among genres. Musical training did not affect participants' ability to identify excerpts overall or by length, but training was found to affect genre identification: those with training were better able to identify classical and jazz excerpts while those without training were better able to identify rap/hip hop excerpts. Gender did not affect participants' ability to identify excerpts overall or by length, but gender was found to affect genre identification: males were better able to identify metal excerpts. Preference did affect participants' ability to identify excerpts; most favorite genres were identified more accurately than all other genres and least favorite genres were identified less accurately than all other genres. In general, these findings support a primary conclusion that people are adept at identifying particular genres when presented with excerpts that are one second or less.

Hearing threshold and survey data collected over 3 years in a university school of music indicate that 52% of undergraduate music students show declines in high-frequency hearing at 6000 Hz consistent with acoustic overexposure. Declines at 4000 Hz have grown in number over the 3 years, from 2% the first year to 30% in the third year. These “noise notches” are seen in all instrument groups, including voice, and are seen more in the right ear than the left ear in all groups. Exposure to outside noise does not appear to be a determining factor in who develops these declines. It is concluded that genetic predisposition is a likely risk factor.