Influence of recreational noise on temporal fine structure processing in college going students

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of noise exposure due to recreational activities and usage of Personal Listening Devices (PLD) is rising. This study investigated the effects of recreational noise exposure on temporal auditory processing in young adults with clinically normal hearing.

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✦ The floor

Discussion

Signed responses from readers of the wire.

✦ Clinical Takeaway ✦

Audiologists seeing young adults should consider temporal fine structure tests alongside standard audiometry, as recreational noise exposure may impair this ability before threshold shifts appear — though the study's strength and sample details need review before changing screening protocols.

✦ Why It Matters ✦

Evidence that subclinical auditory damage from recreational noise is detectable through advanced processing tests reinforces the case for broader hearing screening in young adults beyond conventional pure-tone audiometry.

✦ Key Points ✦

01Study population: college students with recreational noise and personal listening device (PLD) exposure.
02Outcome measure: temporal fine structure (TFS) processing, a sensitivity to the fine timing of sound waves.
03TFS deficits may emerge before any loss shows up on a standard hearing test (hidden hearing loss concept).
04Published in the Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology (BJORL).
05Findings add to growing evidence linking recreational noise to subclinical auditory processing changes in young people.

✦ Claims & Evidence ✦

ClaimEvidenceSupport

Recreational noise exposure and personal listening device use negatively influence temporal fine structure processing in college students.

studypartially supported

Temporal fine structure deficits can be present even when standard audiometric thresholds appear normal.

studypartially supported

✦ Research metadata ✦

PMID: 42887368
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2026.101927.
Journal: Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
Publication type: research_article
Evidence level: 4
Population: College-going students with recreational noise and personal listening device exposure
Intervention: Recreational noise exposure and personal listening device use
Comparator: Students with lower or no recreational noise exposure (implied)

Primary outcomes

Temporal fine structure processing performance

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