scholarly journals aMpLiTuDe MoDuLaTeD noise for tinnitus suppression in tonal and noise-like tinnitus

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Schoisswohl ◽  
J. Arnds ◽  
M. Schecklmann ◽  
B. Langguth ◽  
W. Schlee ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundAcoustic stimulation offers a potential treatment approach for tinnitus but also in-sights in its basic mechanisms by short-term tinnitus suppression called residual inhibition (RI). The effects of RI were found to be depending on intensity, length or sound types covering the individual tinnitus characteristics. In patients with tonal tinnitus RI was increased with amplitude modulated (AM) pure tones at the individual tinnitus frequency while the effects of modulated noise sounds have not been systematically researched.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to investigate whether in patients with noise-like tinnitus RI can be increased by AM noise-like stimuli according to the individual tinnitus frequency range.MethodsFor this purpose the individual tinnitus characteristics (noise-like and tonal tinnitus) were assessed via customizable noise-band matching, in order to generate bandpass filtered stimuli according to the individual tinnitus sound (individualized bandpass filtered sounds; IBP). Subsequent, various stimuli differing in bandpass filtering and AM were tested with respect to their potential to induce RI. Patients were acoustically stimulated with seven different types of stimuli for three minutes each and had to rate the loudness of their tinnitus after each stimuli.ResultsResults indicate a general efficacy of noise stimuli for the temporary suppression of tinnitus, but no significant differences between AM and unmodulated IBP. Significantly better effects were observed for the subgroup with noise-like tinnitus (n=14), especially directly after stimulation offset.ConclusionsThe study at hand provides further insights in potential mechanisms behind RI for different types of tinnitus. Beyond that, derived principles may qualify for new or extend current tinnitus sound therapies.

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 309-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schoisswohl ◽  
Johannes Arnds ◽  
Martin Schecklmann ◽  
Berthold Langguth ◽  
Winfried Schlee ◽  
...  

Background: The phenomenon of short-term tinnitus suppression by different forms of acoustic stimulation is referred to as residual inhibition (RI). RI can be triggered in the majority of tinnitus cases and was found to be depending on the used intensity, length or types of sounds. Past research already stressed the impact of noise stimulation as well as the superiority of amplitude modulated (AM) pure tones at the individual tinnitus frequency for RI in tonal tinnitus. Recently a novel approach for the determination of noise-like tinnitus characteristics was proposed. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether in participants with noise-like tinnitus RI can be increased by AM noise stimuli according to the individual tinnitus frequency range. Methods: For this purpose the individual tinnitus characteristics (noise-like and tonal tinnitus) of 29 people affected by tinnitus (mean age = 55.59, 7 females, mean tinnitus duration = 159.97 months) were assessed via customizable noise-band matching. The objective was to generate bandpass filtered stimuli according to the individual tinnitus sound (individualized bandpass filtered [IBP] sounds). Subsequently, various stimuli differing in bandpass filtering and AM were tested with respect to their potential to induce RI. Participants were acoustically stimulated with 7 different types of stimuli for 3 min each and had to rate the loudness of their tinnitus after each stimuli. Results: Results indicate a general efficacy of noise stimuli for the temporary suppression of tinnitus, but no significant differences between AM and unmodulated IBP. Significantly better effects were observed for the subgroup with noise-like tinnitus (n = 14), especially directly after stimulation offset. Conclusions: The study at hand provides further insights in potential mechanisms behind RI for different types of tinnitus. Beyond that, derived principles may qualify for new or extend current tinnitus sound therapies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652098630
Author(s):  
S. Hu ◽  
L. Anschuetz ◽  
D. A. Hall ◽  
M. Caversaccio ◽  
W. Wimmer

Residual inhibition, that is, the temporary suppression of tinnitus loudness after acoustic stimulation, is a frequently observed phenomenon that may have prognostic value for clinical applications. However, it is unclear in which subjects residual inhibition is more likely and how stable the effect of inhibition is over multiple repetitions. The primary aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of hearing loss and tinnitus chronicity on residual inhibition susceptibility. The secondary aim was to investigate the short-term repeatability of residual inhibition. Residual inhibition was assessed in 74 tinnitus subjects with 60-second narrow-band noise stimuli in 10 consecutive trials. The subjects were assigned to groups according to their depth of suppression (substantial residual inhibition vs. comparator group). In addition, a categorization in normal hearing and hearing loss groups, related to the degree of hearing loss at the frequency corresponding to the tinnitus pitch, was made. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with susceptibility to residual inhibition. Repeatability of residual inhibition was assessed using mixed-effects ordinal regression including poststimulus time and repetitions as factors. Tinnitus chronicity was not associated with residual inhibition for subjects with hearing loss, while a statistically significant negative association between tinnitus chronicity and residual inhibition susceptibility was observed in normal hearing subjects (odds ratio: 0.63; p = .0076). Moreover, repeated states of suppression can be stably induced, reinforcing the use of residual inhibition for within-subject comparison studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 233121651983384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Neff ◽  
Lisa Zielonka ◽  
Martin Meyer ◽  
Berthold Langguth ◽  
Martin Schecklmann ◽  
...  

Recent studies have compared tinnitus suppression, or residual inhibition, between amplitude- and frequency-modulated (AM) sounds and noises or pure tones (PT). Results are indicative, yet inconclusive, of stronger tinnitus suppression of modulated sounds especially near the tinnitus frequency. Systematic comparison of AM sounds at the tinnitus frequency has not yet been studied in depth. The current study therefore aims at further advancing this line of research by contrasting tinnitus suppression profiles of AM and PT sounds at the matched tinnitus frequency (i.e., 10 and 40 Hz AM vs. PT). Participants with chronic, tonal tinnitus (n = 29) underwent comprehensive psychometric, audiometric, tinnitus matching, and acoustic stimulation procedures. Stimuli were presented for 3 minutes in two loudness regimes (60 dB sensation level [SL], minimum masking level [MML] + 6 dB, control sound: SL −6 dB) and amplitude modulated with 0, 10, or 40 Hz. Tinnitus loudness suppression was measured after the stimulation every 30 seconds. In addition, stimuli were rated regarding their valence and arousal. Results demonstrate only trends for better tinnitus suppression for the 10 Hz modulation and presentation level of 60 dB SL compared with PT, whereas nonsignificant results are reported for 40 Hz and MML + 6 dB, respectively. Furthermore, the 10 Hz AM at 60 dB SL and the 40 Hz AM at MML + 6 dB (trend) stimuli were better tolerated as elicited by valence ratings. We conclude that 10 Hz AM sounds at the tinnitus frequency may be useful to further elucidate the phenomenon of residual inhibition.


1970 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecil K. Myers ◽  
J. Donald Harris

Seven equipment systems were assembled to examine human auditory acuity from 8 to 20 kHz. Two loudspeakers and two earphones were examined, together with two types of stimulus (pure tones and narrow bands of noise) and two psychometric methods (Limits and Adjustments). All systems were capable of providing usably reliable thresholds on 28 ears throughout the whole frequency range. When carefully calibrated, several systems (those involving loudspeakers, as well as those involving earphones) yielded comparable reference threshold sound-pressure levels at the eardrum. A preference was expressed for a system using Bekesy threshold tracking with a changing-frequency noise band of 300 Hz, and for a discrete-tone system using the Method of Constants.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suyi Hu ◽  
Lukas Anschuetz ◽  
Deborah A. Hall ◽  
Marco Caversaccio ◽  
Wilhelm Wimmer

Residual inhibition, i.e. the temporary suppression of tinnitus loudness after acoustic stimulation, is a frequently observed phenomenon that may have prognostic value for clinical applications. However, it is unclear in which subjects residual inhibition is more likely and how stable the suppression can be induced repeatedly. The primary aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of hearing loss and tinnitus chronicity on residual inhibition susceptibility. The secondary aim was to investigate the short-term repeatability of residual inhibition. Residual inhibition was assessed in 74 tinnitus subjects with 60-second narrow-band noise stimuli in 10 consecutive trials. The subjects were assigned to groups according to their depth of suppression (substantial residual inhibition vs. comparator group). In addition, a categorization in normal hearing and hearing loss groups, related to the degree of hearing loss at the frequency corresponding to the tinnitus pitch, was made. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with susceptibility to residual inhibition. Repeatability of residual inhibition was assessed using mixed-effects ordinal regression including post-stimulus time and repetitions as factors. Tinnitus chronicity was not associated with residual inhibition for subjects with hearing loss, while a statistically significant negative association between tinnitus chronicity and residual inhibition susceptibility was observed in normal hearing subjects (odds ratio: 0.63; CI: 0.41 to 0.83; p = 0.0076). Moreover, repeated states of suppression can be stably induced. Our results suggest that long chronicity and residual inhibition susceptibility could be indicators for hidden lesions along the auditory pathway in subjects with normal hearing thresholds at their tinnitus frequency.


Author(s):  
J Prezelj ◽  
M Čudina

Noise, generated by a centrifugal blower, can be divided according to its origin, into aerodynamically induced noise and vibration-induced noise. The contribution of the individual noise source to the total emitted noise is hard to determine, but it is crucial for the design of noise reduction measures. In order to reduce the noise of the centrifugal blower in a broad range of operating conditions, an identification of noise sources needs to be performed. An analysis of the most important noise origin in a centrifugal blower presented in this article was performed by measurements of the transfer function between noise and vibration, under different types of excitation. From the analyses one can conclude that the dominant noise source of a centrifugal blower can be attributed to the aerodynamically generated noise which exceeds the vibration-induced noise for more than 10 dB in a broad frequency range.


Author(s):  
Henrik Møller

Contours of equal annoyance were determined for pure tones in the frequency range 4 – 31.5 Hz. The curves show a narrowing of the dynamic range of the ear at low frequencies. The same pattern is seen for equal loudness curves, and the results support the theory that the annoyance of infrasound is closely related to the loudness sensation. Annoyance ratings of 1/3 octave noise did not deviate from ratings of pure tones with the same sound pressure level. Combinations of audio and infrasonic noise were in general given a rating close to or slightly above the rating of the most annoying of the individual noise conditions. For infrasound the proposed G1-weighting curve is shown to give values that correlate well with subjective annoyance rating. Values obtained with the G2-curve do not correlate as well. Low audio frequencies are not covered by the G-curves, and it is shown that these are insufficiently covered by the A-curve. Further research is needed in this area.


2008 ◽  
Vol 139 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. P60-P61
Author(s):  
Vanessa S. Rothholtz ◽  
Hamid R Djalilian ◽  
Jeff Carroll ◽  
Esther L. Fine ◽  
Qing Tang ◽  
...  

Objective 1) Customize amplitude-modulated (AM) and frequency-modulated (FM) acoustic stimuli to suppress tinnitus. 2) Understand the theoretical mechanisms underlying tinnitus suppression. Methods A double-staircase adaptive procedure was utilized to match both the frequency and intensity of the tinnitus. Minimal masking levels for both noise and pure tones were acquired. In a double-blinded procedure, sinusoidally amplitude- and frequency-modulated stimuli were administered. Pre- and post-stimulation tinnitus loudness levels were compared to quantify the effects of suppression and residual inhibition of tinnitus. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate independent predictors of tinnitus suppression. Different types and severity of tinnitus and hearing loss were correlated with the effective sounds. Results At present, 18 patients aged 35 to 75 (mean 58.3) with Tinnitus Handicap Index (THI) scores ranging from 12 to 90 (mean 52.6) have been evaluated. Significant associations were found between the duration of the AM and FM stimuli and the effect on tinnitus suppression. 10 out of 18 (56%) patients had a reduction in their tinnitus loudness by 30% or more. Upon comparison with the masking level, reduction in the subjects’ tinnitus was observed when a lower intensity of the modulated stimuli was presented. Subject characteristics that correlated with a significant reduction of the tinnitus will be discussed in detail. Conclusions AM and FM stimuli can decrease the percept of tinnitus significantly. It is postulated that AM and FM stimuli produce synchronized cortical responses to more efficiently compete against tinnitus-induced synchrony.


1971 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman P. Erber

Two types of special hearing aid have been developed recently to improve the reception of speech by profoundly deaf children. In a different way, each special system provides greater low-frequency acoustic stimulation to deaf ears than does a conventional hearing aid. One of the devices extends the low-frequency limit of amplification; the other shifts high-frequency energy to a lower frequency range. In general, previous evaluations of these special hearing aids have obtained inconsistent or inconclusive results. This paper reviews most of the published research on the use of special hearing aids by deaf children, summarizes several unpublished studies, and suggests a set of guidelines for future evaluations of special and conventional amplification systems.


2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Rakowski ◽  
Piotr Rogowski

AbstractThis paper has two distinct parts. Section 1 includes general discussion of the phenomenon of "absolute pitch" (AP), and presentation of various concepts concerning definitions of "full", "partial" and "pseudo" AP. Sections 2-4 include presentation of the experiment concerning frequency range in which absolute pitch appears, and discussion of the experimental results. The experiment was performed with participation of 9 AP experts selected from the population of 250 music students as best scoring in the pitch-naming piano-tone screening tests. Each subject had to recognize chromas of 108 pure tones representing the chromatic musical scale of nine octaves from E0 to D#9. The series of 108 tones was presented to each subject 60 times in random order, diotically, with loudness level about 65 phon. Percentage of correct recognitions (PC) for each tone was computed. The frequency range for the existence of absolute pitch in pure tones, perceived by sensitive AP possessors stretches usually over 5 octaves from about 130.6 Hz (C3) to about 3.951 Hz (B7). However, it was noted that in a single case, the upper boundary of AP was 9.397 Hz (D9). The split-halves method was applied to estimate the reliability of the obtained results.


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