Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique
Published on: September 7, 2022
Training on hearing protector insertion improves noise attenuation
Alessandra Giannella Samelli1, Clayton Henrique Rocha1, Patrícia Theodósio1
1Department of Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Purpose:
To determine the efficacy of hearing protector insertion by comparing attenuation values measured by objective (MIRE) and subjective (REAT) methods in groups with and without training.
Methods:
The study included 80 male subjects assigned to experimental (with training) and control (without training) groups. The following procedures were performed: occupational history, objective and subjective assessment of hearing protectors. Only subjects in the experimental group received training and guidance on proper hearing protector insertion.
Results:
Attenuation values were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at all frequencies (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) investigated through the objective (MIRE) and subjective (REAT) methods. In addition, attenuation values in the control group were lower than those provided by the hearing protector manufacturer.
Conclusion:
Both objective and subjective attenuation tests demonstrated the efficacy of training on insertion of hearing protectors because the group that received training on proper hearing protection insertion exhibited higher attenuation values than the untrained group.

