The relationship between extended high-frequency hearing and the binaural spatial advantage in young to middle-aged firefightersa)

Christina M Roup; Sarah D Ferguson; Devan Lander

doi:10.1121/10.0021172

The relationship between extended high-frequency hearing and the binaural spatial advantage in young to middle-aged firefightersa)

J Acoust Soc Am. 2023 Oct 1;154(4):2055-2059. doi: 10.1121/10.0021172.

Authors

Christina M Roup¹, Sarah D Ferguson¹, Devan Lander¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University, 1070 Carmack Road, 110 Pressey Hall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.

PMID: 37782123
DOI: 10.1121/10.0021172

Abstract

Relationships between extended high-frequency (EHF) thresholds and speech-in-spatialized noise were examined in firefighters with a history of occupational noise and airborne toxin exposure. Speech recognition thresholds were measured for co-located and spatially separated (±90° azimuth) sentences in a competing signal using the Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences test. EHF hearing was significantly correlated with the spatial advantage, indicating that firefighters with poorer EHF thresholds experienced less benefit from spatial separation. The correlation between EHF thresholds and spatial hearing remained significant after controlling for age. Deficits in EHF and spatial hearing suggest firefighters may experience compromised speech understanding in job-related complex acoustic environments.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Hearing
Hearing Tests
Humans
Middle Aged
Noise, Occupational*
Sound Localization*
Speech Perception*
Young Adult