Upper Frequency Limit of Hearing – A New Screening Method or an Illusion?

M. Bak^1, and K. Rosniak-Bak²

¹Department of Occupational Diseases and Toxicology Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Poland

²Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Biochemistry Medical University of Lodz, Poland

Cite this paper:
M. Bak and K. Rosniak-Bak. Upper Frequency Limit of Hearing – A New Screening Method or an Illusion?. Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology. 2013; 1(3):31-35. doi: 10.12691/jbet-1-3-1

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a prototype generator with electro-acoustical connection, verify the parameters of the new apparatus, perform clinical trials in patients with normal hearing. A digital oscilloscope and artificial ear were used to check electrical and sound parameters. Sound intensity in the 0.5-20 kHz frequency range was 86.8 ± 9 dB SPL. This was followed by clinical trials involving 44 volunteers (17 men and 27 women) with an average age of 20. Before the experiment, each volunteer was examined by audiological tests to rule out damage to the auditory pathway. The upper frequency limit of hearing procedure consisted of binaural administration of constant-intensity signal with a frequency smoothly varying within the 20 kHz - 0.5 kHz range. The volunteer was told to release a signaling button when he heard the acoustic signal. At that moment, the generator stopped at a given frequency that was displayed on a digital scale unit. The test procedure was repeated three times in each subject and the arithmetic mean of three measurements was used in further analysis. The entire procedure, both technical and clinical, was conducted in an audiometric silent chamber, in which it was possible to control the acoustic conditions. Comparison of results of a prototype apparatus to the results obtained in previously research showed that the developed apparatus specifications meet their objectives. In clinical studies, the upper frequency limit of hearing results were as follows: in the group of 17 people only one person was below 75 percentile, two were at 75 percentile, ten at 50 percentile, and four were at 25 percentile. The results show that the modification of the apparatus involving the use of less expensive components has allowed to obtain the technical parameters and results comparable to the others authors and, therefore, the apparatus built by the author of this paper may be used as a screening apparatus.

Keywords:
upper frequency limit of hearing hearing loss noise digital generator

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Figures

References:

[1]	Abbate C., Giorgianni C., Munaň F., Brecciaroli R. “Neurotoxicity induced by exposure to toluene. An electrophysiologic study” Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health, 64(6), 389-392, 1993.
[2]	Chang S.J., Chen C.J., Lien C.H., Sung F.C. “Hearing loss in workers exposed to toluene and noise” Environ. Health Perspect. 114(8), 1283-1286, 2006.
[3]	Fuente A., McPherson B., Hickson L. “Central auditory dysfunction associated with exposure to a mixture of solvents” Int. J. Audiol. 50(12), 857-865, 2011.
[4]	Hoffmann J., Ihrig A., Hoth S., Triebig G. “Field study to explore possible effects of styrene on auditory function in exposed workers” Ind. Health, 44(2), 283-286, 2006.
[5]	Jacobsen P., Hein H.O., Suadicani P., Parving A., Gyntelberg F. “Mixed solvent exposure and hearing impairment: An epidemiological study of 3284 men. The Copenhagen male study” Occup. Med. (Lond.), 43(4), 180-184, 1993.
[6]	Kaufman L.R., LeMasters G.K., Olsen D.M., Succop P. “Effects of concurrent noise and jet fuel exposure on hearing loss” J. Occup. Environ. Med. 47(3), 212-218, 2005.
[7]	Kim J., Park H., Ha E., Jung T., Paik N., Yang S. “Combined effects of noise and mixed solvents exposure on the hearing function among workers in the aviation industry” Ind. Health, 43(3), 567-573, 2005.
[8]	Möller C., Odkvist L., Larsby B., Tham R., Ledin T., Bergholtz L. “Otoneurological findings in workers exposed to styrene” Scand. J. Work Environ. Health, 16(3), 189-194, 1990.
[9]	Morata T.C., Dunn D.E., Kretschmer L.W., Lemasters G.K., Keith R.W. “Effects of occupational exposure to organic solvents and noise on hearing” Scand. J. Work Environ. Health, 19(4), 245-254, 1993.
[10]	Morata T.C., Fiorini A.C., Fischer F.M., Colacioppo S., Wallingford K.M., Krieg E.F. at all “Toluene-induced hearing loss among rotogravure printing workers” Scand. J. Work Environ. Health, 23(4), 289-298, 1997.
[11]	Morata T.C., Engel T., Durăo A., Costa T.R., Krieg E.F., Dunn D.E. at all “Hearing loss from combined exposures among petroleum refinery workers” Scand. Audiol. 26(3), 141-149, 1997.
[12]	Morata T.C., Johnson A.C., Nylen P., Svensson E.B., Cheng J., Krieg E.F. at all “Audiometric findings in workers exposed to low levels of styrene and noise” J. Occup. Environ. Med. 44(9), 806-814, 2002.
[13]	Niklasson M., Arlinger S., Ledin T., Möller C., Odkvist L., Flodin U. at all “Audiological disturbances caused by long-term exposure to industrial solvents. Relation to the diagnosis of toxic encephalopathy” Scand. Audiol. 27(3), 131-136, 1998.
[14]	Prasher D., Al-Hajjaj H., Aylott S., Aksentijevic A. “Effect of exposure to a mixture of solvents and noise on hearing and balance in aircraft maintenance workers” Noise Health, 7(29):, 31-39, 2005.
[15]	Rabinowitz P.M., Galusha D., Slade M.D., Dixon-Ernst C., O’Neill A., Fiellin M. at all “Organic solvent exposure and hearing loss in a cohort of aluminum workers” Occup. Environ. Med. 65(4), 230-235, 2008.
[16]	Schäper M., Seeber A., van Thriel C. “The effects of toluene plus noise on hearing thresholds: an evaluation based on repeated measurements in the German printing industry” Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ. Health 21(3), 191-200, 2008.
[17]	Vrca A., Karacić V., Bozicević D., Bozikov V., Malinar M. “Brainstem auditory evoked potentials in individuals exposed to long-term low concentrations of toluene” Am. J. Ind. Med, 30(1), 62-6, 1996.
[18]	Möller, E. F. “The Effect of Change of Intensity upon the Upper Limit of Hearing” The American Journal of Psychology” 33, 4, 570-577, 1922.
[19]	R. J. Pumphrey, “Upper Limit of Frequency for Human Hearing” Nature, 166, 571, 1950.
[20]	Takeda S. Morioka I. Yoshida Y. Matsumoto K. “Age variation in the upper limit of hearing” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 84, S1, S107-S107, 1988.
[21]	Takeda S. Morioka I. Miyashita K. Okumura A. Yoshida Y. Matsumoto K. “Age variation in the upper limit of hearing” Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. Occup. Physiol. 65, 5, 403-408, 1992.
[22]	Morioka I. Shiraishi T. Nishimura K. Kuroda M. Kuriyama Y. Matsui K. Matsumoto K. Takeda S. “Age variation in the upper limit of hearing and amplitude of eye accommodation in childhood and adolescence” Ann. Hum. Biol. 17, 3, 235-43, 1990.
[23]	Catalogue record of a Maxim MAX 038 Chip.
[24]	Taniuchi, T. Miyashita, K. Ro, W.Z. Morioka, I. Miyamoto, K. Matsumoto, M. Takeda, S. Kawai, T. Mizunuma, K. “Upper limit of hearing in workers exposed to organic solvents” Japanese Journal of Industrial Health. 34, 6, 578-579, 1992.
[25]	Morioka, I. Miyashita, K. Gowa, Y. Takeda, S. “Evaluation of noise-induced hearing loss by reference to the upper limit of hearing” International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 67, 5,301-304, 1995.
[26]	Morioka I., Kuroda M., Miyashita K., Takeda S. „Evaluation of organic solvent ototoxicity by upper limit of hearing” Archives of Environmental Health, 5, 341-346, 1999.
[27]	Morioka I., Miyai N., Yamamoto H., Miyashita K. „Evaluation of combined effect of organic solvent and noise by upper limit of hearing” Industrial Health, 38, 252-257, 2000.