Noise-canceling Headphones Research Articles

Adapting to non-human listening agencies

One central concept in soundscape studies has been that of an acoustic community, i.e. a group of people sharing an understanding of a listened environment, either acoustic or mediated. This understanding manifests in recognition of sound sources, their communicative function and their discoursive use in everyday life. The growing use of hearing aids, noise-cancelling headphones and other intelligent listening technology renders the soundscape more individual and at the same time introduces a non-human listening agency as a mediator to the individually calibrated soundscape. This raises conceptual and methodological questions of listening abilities in general and of how the listening experience is to be understood as taking place in a shared environment. To illuminate this problematic the paper will present as a case how listening through cochlear implants and their sound prosessors can be understood as a process of adaptation to a mediated acoustic community.

Development of hybrid active noise cancellation system for the children with autism spectrum disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder often experience auditory hyperreactivity, where they find certain sounds intolerable and may exhibit negative behaviours in response to noise. While noise-cancelling headphones are commonly used to address these behavioural issues, they primarily focus on reducing noise levels without considering the diverse auditory perceptions of children with autism. Aural perception and electroencephalography tests were conducted to design a noise-control function in headphones that cater to their individual needs. Autistic children with auditory hyperreactivity listened to sounds of various frequencies and amplitudes and their subjective responses were analyzed. The results were utilized to determine suitable noise-attenuation targets based on a function of mean aural perception ratings and noise levels. Using these findings, a hybrid active noise cancellation system was developed and validated. The results showed that frequencies of 250 Hz and 8 kHz were rated by the majority of the children with autism as most unpleasant. The aural perception response improved when children used headsets tailored to their specific aural perception characteristics.

Active noise-cancelling headphones do not improve cognitive performance in office noise environment

Our purpose was to determine the influence of different use settings of on-ear ANC (active noise-cancelling) headphones on performance, experience, and physiological stress in conditions resembling an office where task irrelevant speech is present. Laboratory experiment involved 54 participants, who were exposed to five conditions: 1. No headphones, 2. Headphones without ANC operation, 3. Headphones with ANC operation, 4. Headphones with sound masking playback, 5. Headphones with ANC operation and sound masking playback. In all conditions, speech was present in the room at 52 dB LAeq. Masking was 51 dB LAeq wideband noise played from the headphones. Participants' performance was measured with visual serial recall and 3-back tasks, and physiological stress with heart rate variability. The condition did not influence performances nor physiological stress. The only effects of sound condition were observed in subjective experiences. With masking (conditions 4 and 5), the speech was less annoying than without the headphones (condition 1). Sound environment was estimated to impair performance and disturb concentration less than without the headphones only in condition 5. Therefore, using headphones together with masking and ANC function can improve experience. Using headphones with ANC function alone did not improve performance nor reduce stress level.

Do active noise-cancelling headphones’ influence performance, stress, or experience in office context?

Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones are often used in open-plan offices as individual noise control devices. We examined the influence of different use settings of ANC headphones on performance, experience, and physiological stress in conditions resembling an open-plan office with task irrelevant speech. Laboratory experiment involved 54 participants, who were exposed to speech presented at sound level 52 dB LAeq in five conditions created by use settings: 1. No headphones, 2. Headphones, 3. Headphones + ANC, 4. Headphones + masking, 5. Headphones + ANC + masking. ANC headphones had an on-ear design. Condition 1 was a reference condition to which all other conditions were compared. Masking was 51 dB LAeq wideband noise (315−5000 Hz with −5 dB per octave slope) played from the headphones. Performance was measured with serial recall and n-back tasks, and physiological stress-related biomarker measured was heart rate variability. The condition did not influence performance or heart rate variability, but it influenced experience. With masking (conditions 4 and 5), speech was less annoying, and noise was more annoying than without the headphones (condition 1). With ANC function (condition 3), the sound environment was more pleasant than without the headphones. However, only with both ANC and masking, the sound environment was estimated to impair performance and disturb concentration less than without the headphones. Therefore, using headphones with masking and ANC function can improve experience, but headphones cannot be used as the only measure against speech in offices as they did not improve performance nor stress-related physiological measures.

Wireless bluetooth noise-canceling headphones exploring the design principles and different categories of products

Wireless bluetooth noise-canceling headphones exploring the design principles and different categories of products

The Efficiency of Binaural Beats on Anxiety and Depression—A Systematic Review

Anxiety and depression are two of the most impactful diseases on quality of life and cause significant disability to patients. It burdens the medical system even as a stand-alone pathology or a secondary condition. These conditions can occur secondarily after a patient suffers from other illnesses, such as upper motor neuron lesions. Binaural beats are a new and emerging type of technology that can be used as an adjunct therapy for anxiety and depression as well as in neurologic conditions to some extent. We searched through the MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMBASE, CENTRAL, ISRCTN, and ICTRP databases to identify studies using binaural beats as therapy for anxiety and depression. Twelve articles were declared eligible to be included in this review. Binaural beats, whether used in the form of pure beats or masked by another sound, have shown better results in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to control conditions such as no music or the use of noise-canceling headphones alone. The results suggest that using binaural beats could be a promising and easy-to-use method to help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The Emerging Future of Mobile Audiometry: A Prospective Validation Study of the Mimi Hearing Test Application.

The objective of this study is to assess the accuracy of the Mimi Hearing Test (MHT) mobile application in the detection of air conduction (AC) thresholds and in screening for moderate hearing loss. Prospective clinical study. Tertiary care center. Participants with or without a varying degree of hearing loss, aged 18 years and over, without cognitive impairment and without active otorrhea or earwax impaction at the time of the hearing assessment were included. Subjects with a ranging severity of hearing loss underwent a conventional in-booth audiogram as well as mobile-based screening with MHT in a quiet room (45.5 dB background noise) on the same day. Both regular over-the-ear and noise-canceling headphones were tested with MHT. Comparisons of AC thresholds between conventional audiometry and mobile-based audiometry at discrete frequencies and with pure-tone averages (PTA) were performed. A total of 75 adults (mean age: 56.2 yr, 54.7% male) were recruited and 63 used for analysis. Of the thresholds measured with MHT using regular headphones, 44.0% were within 10 dB of the conventional audiogram, compared to 39.3% using noise-canceling headphones. MHT demonstrated best accuracy at high frequencies (4-8 kHz). When screening for moderate hearing loss (PTA >40 dB HL), MHT demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 100.0% and 80.2%, respectively. MHT is reliable for identifying moderate hearing loss but lacks precision in detecting thresholds at low frequencies. Noise canceling headphones seem to improve its precision at 4,000 Hz only.

Does selective intraoperative music reduce pain following abdominal wall reconstruction? A double-blind randomized controlled trial

PurposeAlthough intraoperative music is purported to mitigate postoperative pain after some procedures, its application has never been explored in abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR). We sought to determine whether intraoperative music would decrease early postoperative pain following AWR.MethodsWe conducted a placebo-controlled, patient-, surgeon-, and assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial at a single center between June 2022 and July 2023 including 321 adult patients undergoing open AWR with retromuscular mesh. Patients received noise-canceling headphones and were randomized 1:1 to patient-selected music or silence after induction, stratified by preoperative chronic opioid use. All patients received multimodal pain control. The primary outcome was pain (NRS-11) at 24 ± 3 h. The primary outcome was analyzed by linear regression with pre-specified covariates (chronic opioid use, hernia width, operative time, myofascial release, anxiety disorder diagnosis, and preoperative STAI-6 score).Results178 patients were randomized to music, 164 of which were analyzed. 177 were randomized to silence, 157 of which were analyzed. At 24 ± 3 h postoperatively, there was no difference in the primary outcome of NRS-11 scores (5.18 ± 2.62 vs 5.27 ± 2.46, p = 0.75). After adjusting for prespecified covariates, the difference of NRS-11 scores at 24 ± 3 h between the music and silence groups remained insignificant (p = 0.83). There was no difference in NRS-11 or STAI-6 scores at 48 ± 3 and 72 ± 3 h, intraoperative sedation, or postoperative narcotic usage.ConclusionFor patients undergoing AWR, there was no benefit of intraoperative music over routine multimodal pain control for early postoperative pain reduction.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05374096.

Effect of high intensity, intermittent exercise on EyeGuide Focus smooth pursuit assessments in amateur female rugby union athletes

Ocular assessment tools provide insights into neurological functioning when diagnosing sport-related concussions (SRCs). Emerging technologies such as EyeGuide Focus have attempted to improve on pre-existing clinical tools however the reliability of the tool is currently uncertain and it is unclear if physical exertion may affect the validity of the device as seen with similar ocular assessments. The aim of this study was to determine if EyeGuide Focus accuracy is affected by high-intensity, intermittent exercise. Seven amateur female rugby union athletes were recruited (Mean age [± SD] = 23 ± 5 years; stature = 172 ± 4 cm, mass = 87 ± 20 kg). Athletes completed baseline testing on the unit which included two to four familiarisation trials and three official tests on the unit measured in arbitrary units (AUs). Testing was completed in a dark room free from distraction, and participants wore noise-cancelling headphones (BOSE QC45) during assessment. The athlete then performed a brief warmup before beginning the exercise protocol by Whyte et al. (2022, Phys Therapy Sport, 58, 126-133) which involves repeated circuits of acceleration, deceleration, backpedalling, change of direction, jumping, and side shuffling. This protocol has previously displayed significant effects on Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening testing. Athletes repeated circuits until they reported 17-18/20 on the Borg Scale with 30s between each circuit. Athletes then completed three more trials at five- and 10-mins post-exercise cessation. Data were exported to Microsoft Excel and Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences for analysis. Athletes completed an average of 03:15 ± 23 s total work in circuits. Significant differences existed between athlete’s heart rate at rest and post-warmup, post individual circuits, and five mins post-test (P < 0.05) but not 10 mins post-test (P > 0.05). Mean EyeGuide Focus scores were 23443.29 ± 8082.18, 35684.04 ± 13279.40, and 22927.64 ± 6377.61 AUs at baseline, 5 mins post-test, and 10 mins post-test respectively. Scores were significantly different between baseline and 5 mins post-test (P < 0.001), and between 5- and 10-mins post-test (P < 0.001), but not baseline and 10 mins post-test (P > 0.848). Three mins of high-intensity, intermittent exercise was sufficient to induce significant changes in amateur female athletes’ EyeGuide Focus scores, returning to baseline after 10 mins of rest. The findings indicate that physical activity can impact on EyeGuide Focus scores and thus sufficient rest is required when assessing athletes for SRCs. Future research should investigate if sport-related contact or collisions also impact scoring on this device.

Bluetooth Noise-Canceling Headphones Improve the Quality of Ophthalmic Exams in Patients With Hearing Loss: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study tests the utilization of Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones in improving the quality of eye exams in patients with hearing loss. This prospective study was approved on ethical standards by the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Institutional Review Board (Approval No. 22-0079) and registered with the National Institutes of Health (NCT05420038). UTMB patients above 55 years of age were screened for hearing loss using soundcheck audiometry. Twenty-nine subjects answered pre-recorded ophthalmic exam questions that solicited precise responses. As controls, subjects were randomly administered half of the questions via headphones and half via a smartphone at normal speech volume (60 decibels). Points were awarded for responses demonstrating comprehension, and a post-exam survey was collected. Collectively, the mean score was 1.79 with headphones versus 0.96 with control on the Amsler grid segment and 1.90 with headphones versus 0.97 with control on education questions (p=0.001). Between red zone and yellow zone hearing loss patients, the more severe red zone group answered significantly better in both Amsler (1.78 versus 0.50; p=0.0003) and education questions (1.88 versus 0.44; p<0.0001) with headphones. The yellow zone group answered better with headphones overall but failed to reach significance. Post-exam survey indicated that 28 of 29 patients (97%) preferred the headphones during ophthalmic exams. Patients with hearing loss demonstrated better comprehension with Bluetooth headphones. These low-cost devices show great promise at improving effective, compassionate communication between providers and hearing loss patients.

Music from Noise-Canceling Headphones Is Beneficial against Anxiety in Male Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Follow-Up Cystoscopy: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Introduction: Bladder cancer, with a greater incidence in males than in females, requires frequent cystoscopies. We aimed to evaluate the effect of music played through noise-canceling headphones on male bladder cancer patients during follow-up cystoscopy. Methods: A total of 160 male bladder cancer patients undergoing follow-up flexible cystoscopy were randomly divided into the noise-canceling headphones without music group and the noise-canceling headphones with music group (groups 1 and 2, respectively; n = 80 per group). The patients’ clinical characteristics were examined, and objective and subjective measurements were compared before and after cystoscopy. The primary outcomes that were evaluated included the visual analog scale (VAS, 0–10) and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI, 20–80). Other outcomes, including vital signs and scores for assessing satisfaction and the willingness to repeat the procedure, were also examined. Results: The characteristics of the patients in groups 1 and 2, and their pre-cystoscopy status, did not differ significantly. Although post-cystoscopy vital signs for the objective parameters and VAS pain scores were similar between the groups, subjective parameters were not. When compared with group 1, post-cystoscopy STAI-state scores were significantly lower in group 2, whereas patients’ satisfaction scores and the willingness to repeat the procedure were significantly higher in group 2 (p = 0.002, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Additionally, in group 2, STAI-state scores changed significantly after the procedure when compared with before the procedure (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Providing music to male bladder cancer patients through noise-canceling headphones was found to reduce anxiety during cystoscopy and to improve patient satisfaction and willingness to undergo repeat cystoscopy.

Effect of Wearing Noise-Canceling Headphones on Delivery Process in Natural Childbirth Puerperae: A Single-Center Study.

To investigate the effect of incorporating noise-canceling headphones into the delivery process for natural childbirth puerperae. We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data encompassing natural childbirth puerperae in the People's Hospital of Suzhou New District from January 2021 to February 2023. The implementation of routine noise reduction management was done from January 2021 to January 2022. During this interval, 69 natural childbirth puerperae were selected as subjects, with 7 excluded, resulting in 62 participants constituting the reference group. Subsequently, noise-canceling headphones were distributed to natural childbirth puerperae from February 2022 to February 2023. In this phase, 66 subjects were selected, and 6 were excluded, resulting in 60 participants forming the observation group. Following admission, both groups underwent corresponding nursing management. Emotional states, pain levels, and various indicators were systematically collected and meticulously compared. The observation group exhibited significantly lower Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores than the reference group before delivery and during the first stage of labor (P < 0.05). The observation group demonstrated significantly lower visual analog scale scores and substance P, nitric oxide, and prostaglandin E2 levels than the reference group during the first stage of labor (P < 0.001). During the second stage of labor, the visual analog) scale scores were significantly lower in the observation group than in the reference group (P < 0.05). The durations of first and second labor stages were significantly shorter in the observation group than in the reference group (P < 0.05). No significant difference existed in Apgar scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). The utilization of noise-canceling headphones emerges as an effective intervention, alleviating anxiety, reducing pain during T1, and abbreviating total labor time in natural childbirth puerperae, suggesting its substantial clinical application value and potential as a beneficial addition to maternity care practices.

Study of Increased Wind Noise by Active Noise Cancellation Headphones

Study of Increased Wind Noise by Active Noise Cancellation Headphones

Clinical decision support system using a machine learning model to assist simultaneous cardiopulmonary auscultation: Open-label randomized controlled trial.

The utility of a clinical decision support system using a machine learning (ML) model for simultaneous cardiac and pulmonary auscultation is unknown. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an ML system's utility for cardiopulmonary auscultation. First, we developed an ML system for cardiopulmonary auscultation, using cardiopulmonary sound files from our previous study. The technique involved pre-processing, feature extraction, and classification through several neural network layers. After integration, the output class was categorized as "normal," "abnormal," or "undetermined." Second, we evaluated the ML system with 24 junior residents in an open-label randomized controlled trial at a university hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to the ML system group (intervention) or conventional auscultation group (control). During training, participants listened to four cardiac and four pulmonary sounds, all of which were correctly classified. Then, participants classified a series of 16 simultaneous cardiopulmonary sounds. The control group auscultated the sounds using noise-cancelling headphones, while the intervention group did so by watching recommendations from the ML system. The total scores for correctly identified normal or abnormal cardiopulmonary sounds in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (366/384 [95.3%] vs. 343/384 [89.3%], P = 0.003). The cardiac test score in the intervention group was better (111/192 [57.8%] vs. 90/192 [46.9%], P = 0.04); there was no significant difference in pulmonary auscultation. The ML-based system improved the accuracy of cardiopulmonary auscultation for junior residents. This result suggests that the system can assist early-career physicians in accurate screening.

Paying Attention to the Online Learning Environment: The Importance of a Low-noise Environment

The learning environment has been recognized as an important factor affecting the quality of offline learning. The existing literature demonstrates that the learning environment also has an impact on online learning and it is more influential than most factors. Due to the flexibility of the learning environment, both the positive and negative effects on online learning are magnified compared to offline learning. Noise is a vital component of the learning environment. The research results of multiple scholars show that noise has adverse effects on learners' physiology and psychology, and the negative effects of noise on learning efficiency cannot be ignored. With regard to the impact of noise on online learning, noise can lower the quality of online learning by impairing the learner's reading ability, memory capacity and maths and literacy ability. Especially, the noise of the online learning environment is more uncontrollable than offline learning, which magnifies the negative impact of noise on learning efficiency. Finally, this paper makes recommendations for learners, teachers and schools respectively, like using noise-canceling headphones or earplugs and removing noise sources in advance.

Multi-channel active noise reduction system realizes the local area sound field control of the subway driver's cabin

Aerodynamic noise, air conditioning fan noise, and wheel-rail noise during subway operation have an adverse effect on drivers' physical and emotional well-being and can jeopardize the safe operation of vehicles. On the basis of the original passive acoustic treatment, multi-channel active control technology is used to manage the local sound field in order to further enhance the acoustic comfort of subway drivers' working environment. The multi-channel active noise reduction system installed on the driver's seat is described in this paper. In order to properly prevent the issues of ear pain and obstruction brought on by prolonged use of noise-canceling headphones, the system integrates reference sensors, error sensors, speakers, and a power amplifier within the headrest. The noise in the carriage is picked up using a multi-channel reference signal, and a low delay and anti-interference algorithm is investigated in accordance with the wide frequency band's characteristics and the abrupt change in sound pressure level when the vehicle is running. The test results demonstrate the system's ability to stabilize under situations of abrupt changes in driving noise and in-car broadcast, as well as to successfully minimize noise in the head area of subway drivers.

Effect of noise isolation using noise-cancelling headphones during laparoscopic surgery for postoperative pain reduction: A randomized clinical trial

Study objectiveMost laparoscopic surgeries under general anesthesia are performed in noisy environments, although the effect of intraoperative noise reduction on postoperative pain remains uncertain. This study aimed to explore whether postoperative pain could be reduced through the intraoperative use of noise-cancelling headphones. DesignThis study was conducted as a prospective parallel-group randomized clinical trial. SettingOperating room and surgery room. PatientsNinety patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. InterventionsIn the intervention group, noise-cancelling headphones were used to reduce noise intensity during laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. MeasurementsThe primary outcome was the maximum movement-evoked pain intensity within 24 h post-surgery, measured using a 10-point numeric rating scale. Secondary outcomes included the maximum resting pain score and total opioid consumption during the 24-h period post-surgery. Mean intraoperative noise and the proportion of intraoperative time with noise intensity ≥70 dB were recorded. Main resultsThe maximum movement-evoked pain score was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (mean score [SD], 2.7 [1.0] and 4.0[1.0], respectively; P < 0.001). The intervention group required significantly fewer opioids than the control group (mean [SD], 44.2 [12.8] and 51.3[17.5] mg, respectively; P = 0.032). In the control group, but not the intervention group, all postoperative pain scores were significantly associated with the proportion of intraoperative time with noise intensity ≥70 dB, which was an independent risk factor for postoperative pain. ConclusionDuring laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia, intraoperative noise isolation using noise-cancelling headphones is a safe and effective strategy for relieving postoperative pain and decreasing total opioid analgesic consumption.

Virtual reality and noise canceling headphone distraction during pediatric dermatologic procedures.

Pain and anxiety related to medical procedures have long been recognized as a significant healthcare concern. If a patient's procedural pain and anxiety are not addressed, long-term physical and psychological sequelae including increased perceived pain, anxiety, disruptive behavior, trauma reactions, or refusal of future procedures can occur. The objective of our study was to assess the utility of a virtual reality (VR) headset or noise-canceling headphones (HP) compared to treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing pain and anxiety during pediatric dermatology procedures. Results indicated a significant difference between pre- versus post-procedure anxiety in the VR and HP groups but not the TAU group suggesting non-pharmacologic technology-based interventions such as VR and headphones may reduce patients' anxiety during pediatric dermatology procedures.

Effects of immersive virtual reality on sensory overload in a random sample of critically ill patients.

Sensory overload and sensory deprivation have both been associated with negative health outcomes in critically ill patients. While there is a lack of any clear treatment or prevention strategies, immersive virtual reality is a promising tool for addressing such problems, but which has not been repetitively tested in random samples. Therefore, this study aimed to determine how critically ill patients react to repeated sessions of immersive virtual reality. This exploratory study was conducted in the mixed medical-surgical intermediate care unit of the University Hospital of Bern (Inselspital). Participants (N = 45; 20 women, 25 men; age = 57.73 ± 15.92 years) received two immersive virtual reality sessions via a head-mounted display and noise-canceling headphones within 24 h during their stay in the unit. Each session lasted 30-min and showed a 360-degree nature landscape. Physiological data were collected as part of the participants' standard care, while environmental awareness, cybersickness, and general acceptance were assessed using a questionnaire designed by our team (1 = not at all, 10 = extremely). During both virtual reality sessions, there was a significant negative linear relationship found between the heart rate and stimulation duration [first session: r(43) = -0.78, p < 0.001; second session: r(38) = -0.81, p < 0.001] and between the blood pressure and stimulation duration [first session: r(39) = -0.78, p < 0.001; second session: r(30) = -0.78, p < 0.001]. The participants had a high comfort score [median (interquartile range {IQR}) = 8 (7, 10); mean = 8.06 ± 2.31], did not report being unwell [median (IQR) = 1 (1, 1); mean = 1.11 ± 0.62], and were not aware of their real-world surroundings [median (IQR) = 1 (1, 5); mean = 2.99 ± 3.22]. The subjectively reported decrease in environmental awareness as well as the decrease in the heart rate and blood pressure over time highlights the ability of immersive virtual reality to help critically ill patients overcome sensory overload and sensory deprivation. Immersive virtual reality can successfully and repetitively be provided to a randomly selected sample of critically ill patients over a prolonged duration.

Cervical Erector Spinae Intermuscular Coordination While Using Noise Cancellation Headphones During Walking

Cervical Erector Spinae Intermuscular Coordination While Using Noise Cancellation Headphones During Walking