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Ghodratitoostani I, Vaziri Z, Miranda Neto M, de Giacomo Carneiro Barros C, Delbem ACB, Hyppolito MA, Jalilvand H, Louzada F, Leite JP. Conceptual framework for tinnitus: a cognitive model in practice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7186. [PMID: 38531913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is a conscious attended awareness perception of sourceless sound. Widespread theoretical and evidence-based neurofunctional and psychological models have tried to explain tinnitus-related distress considering the influence of psychological and cognitive factors. However, tinnitus models seem to be less focused on causality, thereby easily misleading interpretations. Also, they may be incapable of individualization. This study proposes a Conceptual Cognitive Framework (CCF) providing insight into cognitive mechanisms involved in the predisposition, precipitation, and perpetuation of tinnitus and consequent cognitive-emotional disturbances. The current CCF for tinnitus relies on evaluative conditional learning and appraisal, generating negative valence (emotional value) and arousal (cognitive value) to annoyance, distress, and distorted perception. The suggested methodology is well-defined, reproducible, and accessible, which can help foster future high-quality clinical databases. Perceived tinnitus through the perpetual-learning process can always lead to annoyance, but only in the clinical stage directly cause annoyance. In the clinical stage, tinnitus perception can lead indirectly to distress only with experiencing annoyance either with ("I n d - 1 C " = 1.87; 95% CI 1.18-2.72)["1st indirect path in the Clinical stage model": Tinnitus Loudness → Attention Bias → Cognitive-Emotional Value → Annoyance → Clinical Distress]or without ("I n d - 2 C "= 2.03; 95% CI 1.02-3.32)[ "2nd indirect path in the Clinical stage model": Tinnitus Loudness → Annoyance → Clinical Distress] the perpetual-learning process. Further real-life testing of the CCF is expected to express a meticulous, decision-supporting platform for cognitive rehabilitation and clinical interventions. Furthermore, the suggested methodology offers a reliable platform for CCF development in other cognitive impairments and supports the causal clinical data models. It may also enhance our knowledge of psychological disorders and complicated comorbidities by supporting the design of different rehabilitation interventions and comprehensive frameworks in line with the "preventive medicine" policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Ghodratitoostani
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Center for Engineering Applied to Health, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil.
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil.
- Adjunct Scholar, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zahra Vaziri
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Center for Engineering Applied to Health, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milton Miranda Neto
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Center for Engineering Applied to Health, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Camila de Giacomo Carneiro Barros
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Center for Engineering Applied to Health, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Cláudio Botazzo Delbem
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Center for Engineering Applied to Health, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angelo Hyppolito
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hamid Jalilvand
- Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Francisco Louzada
- Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Joao Pereira Leite
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Portnova GV, Podlepich VV, Skorokhodov IV. Patients With Better Outcome Have Higher ERP Response to Emotional Auditory Stimuli. J Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 40:634-640. [PMID: 37931164 DOI: 10.1097/wnp.0000000000000938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Accuracy of outcome prognosis is one of the most important tasks of coma arousal therapy. Reactions toward sensory stimuli are the most significant predictor of conscience and cognitive functions restoration after a brain injury. A paradigm that includes ERP registration has the advantage of detailed stimuli processing visualization. The authors aimed to investigate perception and distinguishing of emotionally significant sounds (crying and laughter) in coma patients with different consciousness restoration prognosis. METHODS EEG was recorded in 24 comatose patients with different outcomes (scored with Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended) and 32 healthy volunteers. The authors presented sounds of crying and laughter. ERPs for sound stimulation were calculated. RESULTS An analysis of the correlation of ERP components and Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended score was performed. P200 (r = 0.6, P = 0.0014) and N200 amplitudes (r = -0.56, P = 0.0037) for emotional sounds correlated with the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended score. The significant differences of P300 and N400 amplitudes corresponded to differences of response between sounds of crying and laughter in subjects of the control group. Unlike the control group, comatose participants with good outcome produced similar electrical activity toward pleasant and unpleasant emotional stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Comatose patients with good outcome produced more prominent ERP for emotional sounds. Even the good outcome participants were unable to distinguish emotional sounds of different moods, which indicate the preservation of solely robust mechanisms of sound processing. N200 and P200 amplitudes for emotional stimuli correlated significantly with outcome prognosis in coma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina V Portnova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vitaliy V Podlepich
- Federal State Autonomous Institution N. N. Burdenko National Medical Research Center of Neurosurgery of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Ivan V Skorokhodov
- Rehabilitation Center for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders "OUR SUNNY WORLD" (Non-Government, Non-Profit Organization), Moscow, Russia; and
- Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, Moscow, Russia
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K A, Prasad S, Chakrabarty M. Trait anxiety modulates the detection sensitivity of negative affect in speech: an online pilot study. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1240043. [PMID: 37744950 PMCID: PMC10512416 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1240043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Acoustic perception of emotions in speech is relevant for humans to navigate the social environment optimally. While sensory perception is known to be influenced by ambient noise, and bodily internal states (e.g., emotional arousal and anxiety), their relationship to human auditory perception is relatively less understood. In a supervised, online pilot experiment sans the artificially controlled laboratory environment, we asked if the detection sensitivity of emotions conveyed by human speech-in-noise (acoustic signals) varies between individuals with relatively lower and higher levels of subclinical trait-anxiety, respectively. In a task, participants (n = 28) accurately discriminated the target emotion conveyed by the temporally unpredictable acoustic signals (signal to noise ratio = 10 dB), which were manipulated at four levels (Happy, Neutral, Fear, and Disgust). We calculated the empirical area under the curve (a measure of acoustic signal detection sensitivity) based on signal detection theory to answer our questions. A subset of individuals with High trait-anxiety relative to Low in the above sample showed significantly lower detection sensitivities to acoustic signals of negative emotions - Disgust and Fear and significantly lower detection sensitivities to acoustic signals when averaged across all emotions. The results from this pilot study with a small but statistically relevant sample size suggest that trait-anxiety levels influence the overall acoustic detection of speech-in-noise, especially those conveying threatening/negative affect. The findings are relevant for future research on acoustic perception anomalies underlying affective traits and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achyuthanand K
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Saurabh Prasad
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Mrinmoy Chakrabarty
- Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
- Centre for Design and New Media, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
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Baniotopoulou C, Boecking B, Mazurek B. Do you Hear what I Hear? A Qualitative Study Examining Psychological Associations Underlying Evaluations of Everyday Sounds in Patients with Chronic Tinnitus. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13040690. [PMID: 37109076 PMCID: PMC10145674 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13040690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus is a multifactorial phenomenon and psychological, audiological, or medical factors can facilitate its onset or maintenance. A growing body of research investigates individuals' perceptions, associations, and experiences of living with tinnitus. This body of research examines tinnitus as a condition rather than a symptom. We examine a sample of chronic tinnitus patients in terms of associations that are induced by neutral sounds. In particular, we investigate how patients with chronic tinnitus ascribe meaning to those neutral sounds. The present study uses Mayring's content analysis to explore the content of psychological associations underlying valence ratings of everyday neutral sounds. Nine tinnitus patients completed a hearing exercise, during which they listened to seven neutral sounds, following which we examined their sound-induced associations using semi-structured interviews. Three groups of factors influenced patients' associations and valence ratings of neutral sounds: affect, episodic memory, and 'other'. The former two factors further comprised two subcategories. In line with previous psychoaudiological research designs, our findings suggest that neutral, everyday auditory stimuli evoke strong affective reactions-possibly through serving as retrieval cues for episodic memories. Based on these findings, we discuss our results in the context of previous psychoaudiological findings and propose further research concerning psychological associations that may specifically underlie the tinnitus sound.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Boecking
- Tinnitus Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Mazurek
- Tinnitus Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Heller LM, Smith JM. Identification of Everyday Sounds Affects Their Pleasantness. Front Psychol 2022; 13:894034. [PMID: 35936236 PMCID: PMC9347306 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.894034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examines the role of source identification in the emotional response to everyday sounds. Although it is widely acknowledged that sound identification modulates the unpleasantness of sounds, this assumption is based on sparse evidence on a select few sounds. We gathered more robust evidence by having listeners judge the causal properties of sounds, such as actions, materials, and causal agents. Participants also identified and rated the pleasantness of the sounds. We included sounds from a variety of emotional categories, such as Neutral, Misophonic, Unpleasant, and Pleasant. The Misophonic category consists of everyday sounds that are uniquely distressing to a subset of listeners who suffer from Misophonia. Sounds from different emotional categories were paired together based on similar causal properties. This enabled us to test the prediction that a sound’s pleasantness should increase or decrease if it is misheard as being in a more or less pleasant emotional category, respectively. Furthermore, we were able to induce more misidentifications by imposing spectral degradation in the form of envelope vocoding. Several instances of misidentification were obtained, all of which showed pleasantness changes that agreed with our predictions.
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Vaziri Z, Nami M, Leite JP, Delbem ACB, Hyppolito MA, Ghodratitoostani I. Conceptual Framework for Insomnia: A Cognitive Model in Practice. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:628836. [PMID: 34366767 PMCID: PMC8339273 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.628836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Insomnia is a widespread neuropsychological sleep-related disorder known to result in various predicaments including cognitive impairments, emotional distress, negative thoughts, and perceived sleep insufficiency besides affecting the incidence and aggravation of other medical disorders. Despite the available insomnia-related theoretical cognitive models, clinical studies, and related guidelines, an evidence-based conceptual framework for a personalized approach to insomnia seems to be lacking. This study proposes a conceptual cognitive framework (CCF) providing insight into cognitive mechanisms involved in the predisposition, precipitation, and perpetuation of insomnia and consequent cognitive deficits. The current CCF for insomnia relies on evaluative conditional learning and appraisal which generates negative valence (emotional value) and arousal (cognitive value). Even with the limitations of this study, the suggested methodology is well-defined, reproducible, and accessible can help foster future high-quality clinical databases. During clinical insomnia but not the neutral one, negative mood (trait-anxiety) causes cognitive impairments only if mediating with a distorted perception of insomnia (Ind-1 = 0.161, 95% CI 0.040–0.311). Further real-life testing of the CCF is intended to formulate a meticulous, decision-supporting platform for clinical interventions. Furthermore, the suggested methodology is expected to offer a reliable platform for CCF-development in other cognitive impairments and support the causal clinical data models. It may also improve our knowledge of psychological disturbances and complex comorbidities to help design rehabilitation interventions and comprehensive frameworks in line with the “preventive medicine” policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Vaziri
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil.,Department of Neuroscience and Behavioural Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Mohammad Nami
- Neuroscience Center, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama City, Panama.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Dana Brain Health Institute, Iranian Neuroscience Society-Fars Chapter, Shiraz, Iran.,Academy of Health, Senses Cultural Foundation, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Pardis, Iran
| | - João Pereira Leite
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioural Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Cláudio Botazzo Delbem
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil.,Reconfigurable Computing Laboratory, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angelo Hyppolito
- Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Iman Ghodratitoostani
- Neurocognitive Engineering Laboratory (NEL), Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil.,Reconfigurable Computing Laboratory, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
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Dzhambov AM, Lercher P, Stoyanov D, Petrova N, Novakov S, Dimitrova DD. University Students' Self-Rated Health in Relation to Perceived Acoustic Environment during the COVID-19 Home Quarantine. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2538. [PMID: 33806377 PMCID: PMC7967325 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students' self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the "being away" dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors-mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel M. Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Peter Lercher
- Institute for Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria;
| | - Drozdstoy Stoyanov
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
- Research Institute at Medical University—Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Nadezhda Petrova
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.P.); (S.N.)
| | - Stoyan Novakov
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.P.); (S.N.)
| | - Donka D. Dimitrova
- Department of Health Management and Healthcare Economics, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
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8
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Dzhambov AM, Lercher P, Stoyanov D, Petrova N, Novakov S, Dimitrova DD. University Students' Self-Rated Health in Relation to Perceived Acoustic Environment during the COVID-19 Home Quarantine. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052538. [PMID: 33806377 DOI: 10.3390/20ijerph18052538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students' self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the "being away" dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors-mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel M Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Peter Lercher
- Institute for Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Drozdstoy Stoyanov
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Institute at Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Nadezhda Petrova
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Stoyan Novakov
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Donka D Dimitrova
- Department of Health Management and Healthcare Economics, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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Estévez-Mauriz L, Forssén J, Zachos G, Kropp W. Let the Children Listen: A First Approximation to the Sound Environment Assessment of Children through a Soundwalk Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17124185. [PMID: 32545438 PMCID: PMC7345751 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The urban sound environment is one of the layers that characterizes a city, and several methodologies are used for its assessment, including the soundwalk approach. However, this approach has been tested mainly with adults. In the work presented here, the aim is to investigate a soundwalk methodology for children, analyzing the sound environment of five different sites of Gothenburg, Sweden, from children's view-point, giving them the opportunity to take action as an active part of society. Both individual assessment of the sound environment and acoustic data were collected. The findings suggested that among significant results, children tended to rank the sound environment as slightly better when lower levels of background noise were present ( L A 90 ). Moreover, traffic dominance ratings appeared as the best predictor among the studied sound sources: when traffic dominated as a sound source, the children rated the sound environment as less good. Additionally, traffic volume appeared as a plausible predictor for sound environment quality judgments, since the higher the traffic volume, the lower the quality of the sound environment. The incorporation of children into urban sound environment research may be able to generate new results in terms of children's understanding of their sound environment. Moreover, sound environment policies can be developed from and for children.
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Bones O, Cox TJ, Davies WJ. Sound Categories: Category Formation and Evidence-Based Taxonomies. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1277. [PMID: 30104989 PMCID: PMC6077929 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Five evidence-based taxonomies of everyday sounds frequently reported in the soundscape literature have been generated. An online sorting and category-labeling method that elicits rather than prescribes descriptive words was used. A total of N = 242 participants took part. The main categories of the soundscape taxonomy were people, nature, and manmade, with each dividing into further categories. Sounds within the nature and manmade categories, and two further individual sound sources, dogs, and engines, were explored further by repeating the procedure using multiple exemplars. By generating multidimensional spaces containing both sounds and the spontaneously generated descriptive words the procedure allows for the interpretation of the psychological dimensions along which sounds are organized. This reveals how category formation is based upon different cues – sound source-event identification, subjective-states, and explicit assessment of the acoustic signal – in different contexts. At higher levels of the taxonomy the majority of words described sound source-events. In contrast, when categorizing dog sounds a greater proportion of the words described subjective-states, and valence and arousal scores of these words correlated with their coordinates along the first two dimensions of the data. This is consistent with valence and arousal judgments being the primary categorization strategy used for dog sounds. In contrast, when categorizing engine sounds a greater proportion of the words explicitly described the acoustic signal. The coordinates of sounds along the first two dimensions were found to correlate with fluctuation strength and sharpness, consistent with explicit assessment of acoustic signal features underlying category formation for engine sounds. By eliciting descriptive words the method makes explicit the subjective meaning of these judgments based upon valence and arousal and acoustic properties, and the results demonstrate distinct strategies being spontaneously used to categorize different types of sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Bones
- Acoustics Research Centre, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor J Cox
- Acoustics Research Centre, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom
| | - William J Davies
- Acoustics Research Centre, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom
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