Hearing disorder from music; a neglected dysfunction

Abstract

Conclusion: Music-induced acute acoustic trauma is not inevitably linked to hearing dysfunction as validated by conventional pure tone audiometry. Tinnitus is often in combination with hyperacusis. Our results point at ‘silent hearing loss’ as the underlying pathology, having afferent nerve terminal damage rather than hair cell loss as the structural correlate.

Objectives: Exposure to loud music is one of the most common causes of acute acoustic trauma, which adolescents and teenagers experience by voluntary exposure to loud music of sound levels up to 110 dB(A).

Methods: The clinical and psychophysical data of 104 consecutive patients with music-induced hearing disorder (MIHD) were analyzed to construct individual hearing and tinnitus profiles. In all cases, tinnitus was the presenting symptom.

Results: Hearing abilities were normal in about two-thirds of the tinnitus patients. Tinnitus was experienced most often as a high-frequency tone (83%). The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores ranged from 0 to 94 with an average score of 43.1. Visual analog scales (VAS) were used to assess tinnitus loudness (average 42.4) and annoyance (average 54.2), and tinnitus awareness was estimated (average 60.3). All VAS values correlated strongly with the THI. Hyperacusis was present in 65% and 71% of the patients reported sleeping disorders.

Chinese abstract

结论：音乐诱发的急性听力创伤不一定与听力功能障碍相关, 这由常规纯音听力测验所证实。耳鸣通常伴有听觉过敏。我们的结果将”沉默性听力损失”指认为潜在的病理因素, 结构相关特征具有传入神经末梢损伤而不是毛细胞损失。

目的：暴露于高音量音乐是急性听觉创伤的最常见原因之一, 这是青少年通过自发暴露于高达110 dB（A）的音乐所经历到的。

方法：对104例连续音乐诱发的听觉障碍（MIHD）患者的临床和心理生理资料进行分析, 建立个人听力和耳鸣档案。在所有情况下, 耳鸣是显现症状。

结果：约三分之二的耳鸣患者的听力能力正常。最常经历的耳鸣通常是高频音（83%）。耳鸣障碍清单（THI）评分范围是从0到94, 平均分为43.1。视觉模拟量表（VAS）用于评估耳鸣响度（平均42.4）和恼人度（平均54.2）, 并估计耳鸣意识度（平均60.3）。所有VAS值与THI强相关。 65%的患有听觉过敏, 而报告有睡眠障碍的患者占79%。

Keywords:

• Music-induced hearing disorder
• cochlear synaptopathy
• hearing loss
• noise-induced hearing disorder
• noise-induced hearing loss
• tinnitus handicap inventory
• visual analog scales

Acknowledgements

The study was supported by grants from a special governmental subsidy for health sciences research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.