Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological Considerations

Background: Use of noise or music in experimental human studies requires balancing the need to avoid subjecting participants to potentially harmful noise levels while still reaching levels that will produce a measurable change in the primary outcome. Several methodological and ethical aspects must b...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eleftheria Iliadou, Vasileios Bitzios, Konstantinos Pastiadis, Christopher J. Plack, Athanasios Bibas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-09-01
Series:Noise and Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/nah.nah_41_23
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846170614659809280
author Eleftheria Iliadou
Vasileios Bitzios
Konstantinos Pastiadis
Christopher J. Plack
Athanasios Bibas
author_facet Eleftheria Iliadou
Vasileios Bitzios
Konstantinos Pastiadis
Christopher J. Plack
Athanasios Bibas
author_sort Eleftheria Iliadou
collection DOAJ
description Background: Use of noise or music in experimental human studies requires balancing the need to avoid subjecting participants to potentially harmful noise levels while still reaching levels that will produce a measurable change in the primary outcome. Several methodological and ethical aspects must be considered. This study aims to summarize ethical and methodological aspects, and reported outcomes, of previously published experimental paradigms using loud noise/music. Methods and materials: Four databases (Medline, Central, Web of Science, and Scopus) and two trials registries (Clinicaltrials.gov and EU Clinical Trials) were searched. Extracted items had the details of author and year of publication, study design and purpose, population, setting timeline and material, selected battery test, and effect of noise/music on participants’ hearing. Results: Thirty-four studies were included. Exposure safety considerations were reported in five studies. Eleven studies assessing hearing loss used white or narrow-band noise [(NBN (0.5–4 kHz), up to 115 dBA, duration range: 3′–24 hours)], and 10 used pop music (up to 106 dBA, duration range: 10′–4 hours). Experimental setting varied significantly. Temporary thresholds shift (TTS) and reduction in distortion product otoacoustic emissions were found at 1–8 kHz, with maximum average TTS∼21.5 dB at 4 kHz after NBN and ∼11.5 dB at 6 kHz after music exposure. All participants recovered their hearing, except for one participant in one study. In the 13 non-hearing loss studies, no hearing testing was performed after exposure, but loud noise was associated with temporary stress, bradygastria, and cardiovascular changes. Noise-induced subjective stress may be higher for participants with tinnitus. Loud noise (100 dBA, 10′) increased diastolic and mean blood pressure only in participants with hypertension. Conclusion: Experimental exposure paradigms can produce temporary changes to hearing without measurable long-term health consequences. Methodological and ethical aspects identified in this review should be considered for the development of future paradigms.
format Article
id doaj-art-a3a19d98efea45a085043d8f96f706a8
institution Kabale University
issn 1463-1741
language English
publishDate 2024-09-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Noise and Health
spelling doaj-art-a3a19d98efea45a085043d8f96f706a82024-11-11T13:59:22ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsNoise and Health1463-17412024-09-012612224325110.4103/nah.nah_41_23Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological ConsiderationsEleftheria IliadouVasileios BitziosKonstantinos PastiadisChristopher J. PlackAthanasios BibasBackground: Use of noise or music in experimental human studies requires balancing the need to avoid subjecting participants to potentially harmful noise levels while still reaching levels that will produce a measurable change in the primary outcome. Several methodological and ethical aspects must be considered. This study aims to summarize ethical and methodological aspects, and reported outcomes, of previously published experimental paradigms using loud noise/music. Methods and materials: Four databases (Medline, Central, Web of Science, and Scopus) and two trials registries (Clinicaltrials.gov and EU Clinical Trials) were searched. Extracted items had the details of author and year of publication, study design and purpose, population, setting timeline and material, selected battery test, and effect of noise/music on participants’ hearing. Results: Thirty-four studies were included. Exposure safety considerations were reported in five studies. Eleven studies assessing hearing loss used white or narrow-band noise [(NBN (0.5–4 kHz), up to 115 dBA, duration range: 3′–24 hours)], and 10 used pop music (up to 106 dBA, duration range: 10′–4 hours). Experimental setting varied significantly. Temporary thresholds shift (TTS) and reduction in distortion product otoacoustic emissions were found at 1–8 kHz, with maximum average TTS∼21.5 dB at 4 kHz after NBN and ∼11.5 dB at 6 kHz after music exposure. All participants recovered their hearing, except for one participant in one study. In the 13 non-hearing loss studies, no hearing testing was performed after exposure, but loud noise was associated with temporary stress, bradygastria, and cardiovascular changes. Noise-induced subjective stress may be higher for participants with tinnitus. Loud noise (100 dBA, 10′) increased diastolic and mean blood pressure only in participants with hypertension. Conclusion: Experimental exposure paradigms can produce temporary changes to hearing without measurable long-term health consequences. Methodological and ethical aspects identified in this review should be considered for the development of future paradigms.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/nah.nah_41_23musictemporary threshold shifthearing lossnoisereview
spellingShingle Eleftheria Iliadou
Vasileios Bitzios
Konstantinos Pastiadis
Christopher J. Plack
Athanasios Bibas
Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological Considerations
Noise and Health
music
temporary threshold shift
hearing loss
noise
review
title Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological Considerations
title_full Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological Considerations
title_fullStr Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological Considerations
title_full_unstemmed Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological Considerations
title_short Exposure to Noise or Music in Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review on Ethical and Methodological Considerations
title_sort exposure to noise or music in clinical trials a scoping review on ethical and methodological considerations
topic music
temporary threshold shift
hearing loss
noise
review
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/nah.nah_41_23
work_keys_str_mv AT eleftheriailiadou exposuretonoiseormusicinclinicaltrialsascopingreviewonethicalandmethodologicalconsiderations
AT vasileiosbitzios exposuretonoiseormusicinclinicaltrialsascopingreviewonethicalandmethodologicalconsiderations
AT konstantinospastiadis exposuretonoiseormusicinclinicaltrialsascopingreviewonethicalandmethodologicalconsiderations
AT christopherjplack exposuretonoiseormusicinclinicaltrialsascopingreviewonethicalandmethodologicalconsiderations
AT athanasiosbibas exposuretonoiseormusicinclinicaltrialsascopingreviewonethicalandmethodologicalconsiderations