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Loudness modulation after transient and permanent hearing loss: implications for tinnitus and hyperacusis
P Fournier1, M Schönwiesner2, S Hébert1
1School of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; International Laboratory for Research on Brain, Music, and Sound (BRAMS), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Neuroscience
|August 20, 2014
Summary
Short-term sound deprivation and stimulation alter loudness perception by modifying auditory system sensitivity. Research is needed to understand these effects in hearing-impaired individuals and their cortical basis.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Loudness perception is linked to sound intensity but is adaptable.
- Auditory system sensitivity can be altered by temporary sound exposure (deprivation or stimulation).
- Understanding these modulations is crucial for auditory science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of short-term auditory deprivation and stimulation on the auditory central nervous system.
- To explore the implications for permanent auditory deprivation (hearing loss) and loudness perception pathologies.
- To identify gaps in knowledge regarding cortical effects in humans.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing human and animal studies on auditory deprivation and stimulation.
- Analysis of evidence concerning loudness modulation in normal and impaired hearing.
- Discussion of potential neural correlates of loudness perception.
Main Results:
- Short-term sound deprivation enhances, while stimulation reduces, auditory sensitivity in normal hearing.
- Evidence for similar modulations in hearing-impaired listeners is limited.
- Cortical mechanisms underlying loudness coding after deprivation/stimulation remain largely uncharacterized.
Conclusions:
- Loudness perception is dynamically modulated by short-term auditory experiences.
- Further research is essential to elucidate effects in hearing loss and the underlying neural pathways.
- Investigating cortical plasticity in loudness perception is a key future direction.
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