Cutting Through the Noise: Noise-Induced Cochlear Synaptopathy and Individual Differences in Speech Understanding Among Listeners With Normal Audiograms

DiNino, Mishaela; Holt, Lori L.; Shinn‐Cunningham, Barbara

doi:10.1097/aud.0000000000001147

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…Based on signal detection theory, Oxenham ( 2016 ) showed that a synapse loss in humans up to 50% may not necessarily translate into measurable effects on behavioral tasks. Furthermore, the different behavioral tools used in human CS studies place variable sensory, perceptual, and central/cognitive demands (such as attention and memory), which likely contribute to inter-subject variability (Bramhall et al, 2019 ; DiNino et al, 2022 ). Thirdly, noise-induced CS in humans might not preferentially impair low- to medium-SR ANFs (as discussed in Section Histopathological and Neurophysiological Aspects: Noise Exposure).…”

Section: Behavioral Proxy Measures In Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relative and Combined Effects of Noise Exposure and Aging on Auditory Peripheral Neural Deafferentation: A Narrative Review

Shehabi

Prendergast

Plack

2022

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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Animal studies have shown that noise exposure and aging cause a reduction in the number of synapses between low and medium spontaneous rate auditory nerve fibers and inner hair cells before outer hair cell deterioration. This noise-induced and age-related cochlear synaptopathy (CS) is hypothesized to compromise speech recognition at moderate-to-high suprathreshold levels in humans. This paper evaluates the evidence on the relative and combined effects of noise exposure and aging on CS, in both animals and humans, using histopathological and proxy measures. In animal studies, noise exposure seems to result in a higher proportion of CS (up to 70% synapse loss) compared to aging (up to 48% synapse loss). Following noise exposure, older animals, depending on their species, seem to either exhibit significant or little further synapse loss compared to their younger counterparts. In humans, temporal bone studies suggest a possible age- and noise-related auditory nerve fiber loss. Based on the animal data obtained from different species, we predict that noise exposure may accelerate age-related CS to at least some extent in humans. In animals, noise-induced and age-related CS in separation have been consistently associated with a decreased amplitude of wave 1 of the auditory brainstem response, reduced middle ear muscle reflex strength, and degraded temporal processing as demonstrated by lower amplitudes of the envelope following response. In humans, the individual effects of noise exposure and aging do not seem to translate clearly into deficits in electrophysiological, middle ear muscle reflex, and behavioral measures of CS. Moreover, the evidence on the combined effects of noise exposure and aging on peripheral neural deafferentation in humans using electrophysiological and behavioral measures is even more sparse and inconclusive. Further research is necessary to establish the individual and combined effects of CS in humans using temporal bone, objective, and behavioral measures.

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Section: Behavioral Proxy Measures In Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relative and Combined Effects of Noise Exposure and Aging on Auditory Peripheral Neural Deafferentation: A Narrative Review

Shehabi

Prendergast

Plack

2022

Front. Aging Neurosci.

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“…This is because in general factory workers in China have a lower educational level (Chen and Guan, 2016). It has been previously reported that both cognitive resources and language competence can influence SPiN performance (Schneider et al, 2002;Pienkowski, 2017;DiNino et al, 2022). These aspects were not explored in the present study, and thus, we cannot conclude that sensory processing was the main underlying factor that explained our results.…”

Section: Speech Perception In Noisementioning

confidence: 54%

No effect of occupational noise exposure on auditory brainstem response and speech perception in noise

Pinsonnault-Skvarenina

Moïn-Darbari

Zhao

et al. 2022

Front. Neurosci.

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The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether auditory brainstem response (ABR) and speech perception in noise (SPiN) were associated with occupational noise exposure in normal hearing young factory workers. Forty young adults occupationally exposed to noise and 40 non-exposed young adults (control group) from Zhejiang province in China were selected. All participants presented with normal hearing thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Participants were evaluated with the Mandarin Bamford-Kowal-Bench (BKB) test and ABR. The latter was obtained for click stimulus at 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 dBnHL. Peak-to-trough amplitudes and latencies for waves I and V were obtained. The ABR wave I amplitude, the wave I/V amplitude ratio, the slope of the wave I amplitude growth as a function of stimulus intensity (AMP-ISlope), and the wave V latency shift with ipsilateral noise (LAT-VSlope) were used as ABR outcomes. Finally, equivalent continuous average sound pressure level normalized to 8 h (LAeq.8h) and cumulative noise exposure (CNE) were obtained for noise-exposed participants. No significant differences between groups were found for any ABR outcomes. Noise-exposed participants exhibited worse BKB scores than control group participants. A multivariate regression model showed that 23.3% of the variance in BKB scores was explained by group category (exposed vs. non-exposed) and hearing thresholds. However, since none of the ABR outcomes exploring cochlear synaptopathy were associated with noise exposure, we cannot conclude that cochlear synaptopathy was the contributing factor for the differences between groups for BKB scores. Factors that go beyond sensory processing may explain such results, especially given socio-economic differences between the noise-exposed and control groups. We conclude that in this sample of participants, occupational noise exposure was not associated with signs of cochlear synaptopathy as measured by ABR and BKB.

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“…Overall, although the relationship between physiological correlates of cochlear deafferentation and speech perception measures were not consistent across all studies, those that used speech perception measures with some of the features suggested by DiNino et al (2022) , used EFR with a RAM stimulus or wideband MEMR as the physiological measure, and/or included populations at high risk for synaptopathy (due to age or military noise exposure) tended to find that weaker physiological measurements were associated with poorer speech perception performance. It is possible that this relationship is non-linear and that the negative impacts of cochlear deafferentation on speech perception only become evident when a particular threshold level of deafferentation is reached.…”

Section: Perceptual Consequences Of Cochlear Deafferentation In Human...mentioning

confidence: 90%

“…It's possible that the sensitivity to cochlear deafferentation-related speech perception deficits may differ depending on the speech perception measure used. DiNino et al (2022) proposed that the ideal speech perception measure for capturing cochlear deafferentation-related deficits would possess four features; it would be appropriately difficult for adults with normal hearing thresholds; it would have limited contextual, semantic, and syntactic content; it would emphasize temporal processing (e.g., by using time compression or reverberation); and it would allow competing speech streams to be differentiated only by fine spatial cues (rather than based on fundamental frequency). They found that previous studies that showed evidence of a relationship between a physiological correlate of cochlear deafferentation and speech perception performance included a speech perception metric with one or more of these features.…”

Section: Perceptual Consequences Of Cochlear Deafferentation In Human...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptual Consequences of Cochlear Deafferentation in Humans

Bramhall,

McMillan

2024

Trends in Hearing

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Cochlear synaptopathy, a form of cochlear deafferentation, has been demonstrated in a number of animal species, including non-human primates. Both age and noise exposure contribute to synaptopathy in animal models, indicating that it may be a common type of auditory dysfunction in humans. Temporal bone and auditory physiological data suggest that age and occupational/military noise exposure also lead to synaptopathy in humans. The predicted perceptual consequences of synaptopathy include tinnitus, hyperacusis, and difficulty with speech-in-noise perception. However, confirming the perceptual impacts of this form of cochlear deafferentation presents a particular challenge because synaptopathy can only be confirmed through post-mortem temporal bone analysis and auditory perception is difficult to evaluate in animals. Animal data suggest that deafferentation leads to increased central gain, signs of tinnitus and abnormal loudness perception, and deficits in temporal processing and signal-in-noise detection. If equivalent changes occur in humans following deafferentation, this would be expected to increase the likelihood of developing tinnitus, hyperacusis, and difficulty with speech-in-noise perception. Physiological data from humans is consistent with the hypothesis that deafferentation is associated with increased central gain and a greater likelihood of tinnitus perception, while human data on the relationship between deafferentation and hyperacusis is extremely limited. Many human studies have investigated the relationship between physiological correlates of deafferentation and difficulty with speech-in-noise perception, with mixed findings. A non-linear relationship between deafferentation and speech perception may have contributed to the mixed results. When differences in sample characteristics and study measurements are considered, the findings may be more consistent.

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Cutting Through the Noise: Noise-Induced Cochlear Synaptopathy and Individual Differences in Speech Understanding Among Listeners With Normal Audiograms

Abstract: Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Cited by 22 publications

References 88 publications

The Relative and Combined Effects of Noise Exposure and Aging on Auditory Peripheral Neural Deafferentation: A Narrative Review

The Relative and Combined Effects of Noise Exposure and Aging on Auditory Peripheral Neural Deafferentation: A Narrative Review

No effect of occupational noise exposure on auditory brainstem response and speech perception in noise

Perceptual Consequences of Cochlear Deafferentation in Humans

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