Effects of intake and rejection tasks on auditory fatigue

The effects of sensory intake and rejection tasks on auditory fatigue were examined in 14 male subjects. Auditory thresholds, psychophysical tuning curves and physiological measures of cardiovascular function were obtained before, during, and following a 7 min 110 dB SPL white noise exposure. Acceleration of heart rate was observed under the sensory rejection (mental arithmetic) condition, and poorer post-exposure auditory thresholds and larger Q10 tip values (measured during late post-exposure intervals) were seen when the task required counting of interruptions in the noise. However, Q10 tip values obtained 1 to 2 min post-exposure, when cochlear effects are maximal, failed to confirm a significant difference as a function of task.