Tinnitus And Musical Genius

When you think of tinnitus, you usually don’t think of musical genius as well. However, to the surprise of many people, some of the biggest names in music history have suffered with this condition that causes ringing in the ears. Yet despite the difficulties this can cause, those who have the condition have not let it keep them from turning out some of the greatest hits in music history. To find out how tinnitus and musical genius go together, take a look at some of the most well-known musicians who have had this condition.

Neil Young
One of the most popular singer-songwriters since the 1960s, Neil Young didn’t develop tinnitus until the early 1990s. Attributing his condition to years of playing and listening to loud music, he has reportedly gotten so used to the ringing in his ears that he rarely gives it a second thought.

Barbra Streisand
If there is one name in show business that exemplifies the link between tinnitus and musical genius, it’s Barbra Streisand. Star of stage, screen, and television, Barbra has had the condition since age seven. Known for being somewhat temperamental at times, she points to tinnitus as the reason for her volatile personality.

Pete Townshend
If there was one rock group that exemplified the 1960s, it was The Who. With wild antics such as drummer Keith Moon blowing up his drums during a concert and guitars being smashed onstage, a concert by The Who was wildly unpredictable. However, for lead guitarist and group founder Pete Townshend, those antics ultimately gave him tinnitus. A result of the band’s extremely loud music during concerts and the volume at which he listened to studio playbacks when recording an album, Townshend says his tinnitus has gotten worse as he has aged. In fact, he says after shows his tinnitus is almost unbearable, but he has no plans to quit playing anytime soon.

Other Notables
Along with these three, tinnitus and musical genius can be attributed to many other famous folks in the music business. For example, crooner Engelbert Humperdinck suffers from the condition, as does David Letterman’s former band leader Paul Schaffer. Comedian Steve Martin, who in recent years has become noted for his banjo playing and bluegrass concerts and albums, suffers from tinnitus as a result of a shooting scene in a 1986 movie.

While not all musicians have tinnitus, it’s interesting to note just how many famous musicians suffer from the condition. As concerts continue to be loud, it’s expected even more names will be connected to the link between tinnitus and musical genius.

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Are Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System Activity and Perceived Stress Related to Functional Somatic Symptoms in Adolescents? The TRAILS Study

by Karin A. M. Janssens, Harriëtte Riese, Arie M. Van Roon, Joke A. M. Hunfeld, Paul F. C. Groot, Albertine J. Oldehinkel, Judith G. M. Rosmalen

Objective

Stressors have been related to medically insufficiently explained or functional somatic symptoms (FSS). However, the underlying mechanism of this association is largely unclear. In the current study, we examined whether FSS are associated with different perceived stress and cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) levels during a standardized stressful situation, and whether these associations are symptom-specific.

Methods

We examined 715 adolescents (16.1 years, 51.3% girls) from the Dutch cohort study Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Sample during the Groningen Social Stress Test (GSST). FSS were assessed by the Youth Self-Report, and clustered into a cluster of overtiredness, dizziness and musculoskeletal pain and a cluster of headache and gastrointestinal symptoms. Perceived stress levels (i.e. unpleasantness and arousal) were assessed by the Self-Assessment Manikin, and cardiac ANS activity by assessing heart rate variability (HRV-HF) and pre-ejection period (PEP). Perceived stress and cardiac ANS levels before, during, and after the GSST were studied as well as cardiac ANS reactivity. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the associations.

Results

Perceived arousal levels during (beta = 0.09, p = 0.04) and after (beta = 0.07, p = 0.047) the GSST, and perceived unpleasantness levels before (beta = 0.07, p = 0.048) and during (beta = 0.12, p = 0.001) the GSST were related to FSS during the past couple of months. The association between perceived stress and FSS was stronger for the FSS cluster of overtiredness, dizziness and musculoskeletal pain than for the cluster of headache and gastrointestinal symptoms. Neither ANS activity levels before, during, and after the GSST, nor maximal HF-HRV and PEP reactivity were related to FSS.

Conclusions

This study suggests that perceived stress levels during social stress are related to FSS, whereas cardiac ANS activity and reactivity are not related to FSS.

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The Neural Correlates of Chronic Symptoms of Vertigo Proneness in Humans

by Ola Alsalman, Jan Ost, Robby Vanspauwen, Catherine Blaivie, Dirk De Ridder, Sven Vanneste

Vestibular signals are of significant importance for variable functions including gaze stabilization, spatial perception, navigation, cognition, and bodily self-consciousness. The vestibular network governs functions that might be impaired in patients affected with vestibular dysfunction. It is currently unclear how different brain regions/networks process vestibular information and integrate the information into a unified spatial percept related to somatosensory awareness and whether people with recurrent balance complaints have a neural signature as a trait affecting their development of chronic symptoms of vertigo. Pivotal evidence points to a vestibular-related brain network in humans that is widely distributed in nature. By using resting state source localized electroencephalography in non-vertiginous state, electrophysiological changes in activity and functional connectivity of 23 patients with balance complaints where chronic symptoms of vertigo and dizziness are among the most common reported complaints are analyzed and compared to healthy subjects. The analyses showed increased alpha2 activity within the posterior cingulate cortex and the precuneues/cuneus and reduced beta3 and gamma activity within the pregenual and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex for the subjects with balance complaints. These electrophysiological variations were correlated with reported chronic symptoms of vertigo intensity. A region of interest analysis found reduced functional connectivity for gamma activity within the vestibular cortex, precuneus, frontal eye field, intra-parietal sulcus, orbitofrontal cortex, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. In addition, there was a positive correlation between chronic symptoms of vertigo intensity and increased alpha-gamma nesting in the left frontal eye field. When compared to healthy subjects, there is evidence of electrophysiological changes in the brain of patients with balance complaints even outside chronic symptoms of vertigo episodes. This suggests that these patients have a neural signature or trait that makes them prone to developing chronic balance problems.

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Parasympathetic Nervous System Dysfunction, as Identified by Pupil Light Reflex, and Its Possible Connection to Hearing Impairment

by Yang Wang, Adriana A. Zekveld, Graham Naylor, Barbara Ohlenforst, Elise P. Jansma, Artur Lorens, Thomas Lunner, Sophia E. Kramer

Context

Although the pupil light reflex has been widely used as a clinical diagnostic tool for autonomic nervous system dysfunction, there is no systematic review available to summarize the evidence that the pupil light reflex is a sensitive method to detect parasympathetic dysfunction. Meanwhile, the relationship between parasympathetic functioning and hearing impairment is relatively unknown.

Objectives

To 1) review the evidence for the pupil light reflex being a sensitive method to evaluate parasympathetic dysfunction, 2) review the evidence relating hearing impairment and parasympathetic activity and 3) seek evidence of possible connections between hearing impairment and the pupil light reflex.

Methods

Literature searches were performed in five electronic databases. All selected articles were categorized into three sections: pupil light reflex and parasympathetic dysfunction, hearing impairment and parasympathetic activity, pupil light reflex and hearing impairment.

Results

Thirty-eight articles were included in this review. Among them, 36 articles addressed the pupil light reflex and parasympathetic dysfunction. We summarized the information in these data according to different types of parasympathetic-related diseases. Most of the studies showed a difference on at least one pupil light reflex parameter between patients and healthy controls. Two articles discussed the relationship between hearing impairment and parasympathetic activity. Both studies reported a reduced parasympathetic activity in the hearing impaired groups. The searches identified no results for pupil light reflex and hearing impairment.

Discussion and Conclusions

As the first systematic review of the evidence, our findings suggest that the pupil light reflex is a sensitive tool to assess the presence of parasympathetic dysfunction. Maximum constriction velocity and relative constriction amplitude appear to be the most sensitive parameters. There are only two studies investigating the relationship between parasympathetic activity and hearing impairment, hence further research is needed. The pupil light reflex could be a candidate measurement tool to achieve this goal.

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Differentiating School-Aged Children With and Without Language Impairment Using Tense and Grammaticality Measures From a Narrative Task

Purpose

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the finite verb morphology composite (FVMC), number of errors per C-unit (Errors/CU), and percent grammatical C-units (PGCUs) in differentiating school-aged children with language impairment (LI) and those with typical language development (TL).

Method

Participants were 61 six-year-olds (50 TL, 11 LI) and 67 eight-year-olds (50 TL, 17 LI). Narrative samples were collected using a story-generation format. FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs were computed from the samples.

Results

All of the three measures showed acceptable to good diagnostic accuracy at age 6, but only PGCUs showed acceptable diagnostic accuracy at age 8 when sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were considered.

Conclusion

FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs can all be used in combination with other tools to identify school-aged children with LI. However, FVMC and Errors/CU may be an appropriate diagnostic tool up to age 6. PGCUs, in contrast, may be a sensitive tool for identifying children with LI at least up to age 8 years.

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Differentiating School-Aged Children With and Without Language Impairment Using Tense and Grammaticality Measures From a Narrative Task

Purpose

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the finite verb morphology composite (FVMC), number of errors per C-unit (Errors/CU), and percent grammatical C-units (PGCUs) in differentiating school-aged children with language impairment (LI) and those with typical language development (TL).

Method

Participants were 61 six-year-olds (50 TL, 11 LI) and 67 eight-year-olds (50 TL, 17 LI). Narrative samples were collected using a story-generation format. FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs were computed from the samples.

Results

All of the three measures showed acceptable to good diagnostic accuracy at age 6, but only PGCUs showed acceptable diagnostic accuracy at age 8 when sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were considered.

Conclusion

FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs can all be used in combination with other tools to identify school-aged children with LI. However, FVMC and Errors/CU may be an appropriate diagnostic tool up to age 6. PGCUs, in contrast, may be a sensitive tool for identifying children with LI at least up to age 8 years.

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Differentiating School-Aged Children With and Without Language Impairment Using Tense and Grammaticality Measures From a Narrative Task

Purpose

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the finite verb morphology composite (FVMC), number of errors per C-unit (Errors/CU), and percent grammatical C-units (PGCUs) in differentiating school-aged children with language impairment (LI) and those with typical language development (TL).

Method

Participants were 61 six-year-olds (50 TL, 11 LI) and 67 eight-year-olds (50 TL, 17 LI). Narrative samples were collected using a story-generation format. FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs were computed from the samples.

Results

All of the three measures showed acceptable to good diagnostic accuracy at age 6, but only PGCUs showed acceptable diagnostic accuracy at age 8 when sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were considered.

Conclusion

FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs can all be used in combination with other tools to identify school-aged children with LI. However, FVMC and Errors/CU may be an appropriate diagnostic tool up to age 6. PGCUs, in contrast, may be a sensitive tool for identifying children with LI at least up to age 8 years.

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Optimization of computation efficiency in underwater acoustic navigation system

This paper presents a technique for the estimation of the relative bearing angle between the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and the base station for the homing and docking operations. The key requirement of this project includes computation efficiency and estimation accuracy for direct implementation onto the UUV electronic hardware, subject to the extreme constraints of physical limitation of the hardware due to the size and dimension of the UUV housing, electric power consumption for the requirement of UUV survey duration and range coverage, and heat dissipation of the hardware. Subsequent to the design and development of the algorithm, two phases of experiments were conducted to illustrate the feasibility and capability of this technique. The presentation of this paper includes system modeling, mathematical analysis, and results from laboratory experiments and full-scale sea tests.

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Effects of corrugation shape on frequency band-gaps for longitudinal wave motion in a periodic elastic layer

The paper concerns determining frequency band-gaps for longitudinal wave motion in a periodic waveguide. The waveguide may be considered either as an elastic layer with variable thickness or as a rod with variable cross section. As a result, widths and locations of all frequency band-gaps are determined by means of the method of varying amplitudes. For the general symmetric corrugation shape, the width of each odd band-gap is controlled only by one harmonic in the corrugation series with its number being equal to the number of the band-gap. Widths of even band-gaps, however, are influenced by all the harmonics involved in the corrugation series, so that the lower frequency band-gaps can emerge. These are band-gaps located below the frequency corresponding to the lowest harmonic in the corrugation series. For the general non-symmetric corrugation shape, the mth band-gap is controlled only by one, the mth, harmonic in the corrugation series. The revealed insights into the mechanism of band-gap formation can be used to predict locations and widths of all frequency band-gaps featured by any corrugation shape. These insights are general and can be valid also for other types of wave motion in periodic structures, e.g., transverse or torsional vibration.

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Short- and long-term monitoring of underwater sound levels in the Hudson River (New York, USA)

There is a growing body of research on natural and man-made sounds that create aquatic soundscapes. Less is known about the soundscapes of shallow waters, such as in harbors, rivers, and lakes. Knowledge of soundscapes is needed as a baseline against which to determine the changes in noise levels resulting from human activities. To provide baseline data for the Hudson River at the site of the Tappan Zee Bridge, 12 acoustic data loggers were deployed for a 24-h period at ranges of 0–3000 m from the bridge, and four of the data loggers were re-deployed for three months of continuous recording. Results demonstrate that this region of the river is relatively quiet compared to open ocean conditions and other large river systems. Moreover, the soundscape had temporal and spatial diversity. The temporal patterns of underwaternoise from the bridge change with the cadence of human activity. Bridge noise (e.g., road traffic) was only detected within 300 m; farther from the bridge, boating activity increased sound levels during the day, and especially on the weekend. Results also suggest that recording near the river bottom produced lower pseudo-noise levels than previous studies that recorded in the river water column.

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New research discovers gene that causes common deafness

New research funded by the charity Action on Hearing Loss has taken scientists a step closer to finding a treatment for one of the most common causes of hearing loss among young adults following the...

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New research discovers gene that causes common deafness

New research funded by the charity Action on Hearing Loss has taken scientists a step closer to finding a treatment for one of the most common causes of hearing loss among young adults following the...

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New research discovers gene that causes common deafness

New research funded by the charity Action on Hearing Loss has taken scientists a step closer to finding a treatment for one of the most common causes of hearing loss among young adults following the...

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The Role of Lexical Stress on the Use of Vocal Fry in Young Adult Female Speakers

Publication date: Available online 15 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Todd A. Gibson
ObjectivesVocal fry is a voice register often used by young adult women for sociolinguistic purposes. Some acoustic correlates of lexical stress, however, appear incompatible with the use of vocal fry. The objective of this study was to systematically examine the role of lexical stress in the use of vocal fry by young adult women.Study DesignThis is a semi-randomized controlled laboratory study.MethodsFifty female undergraduate students were recorded repeating one-, two-, three-, and four-syllable nonwords that conformed to English phonotactics. Nonwords were presented in order from shorter to longer lengths, with stimuli randomized within syllable length. Perceptual analyses of recordings were augmented by acoustic analyses to identify each syllable in which vocal fry occurred.ResultsEighty-six percent of participants produced at least one episode of vocal fry. Vocal fry was more likely to occur in unstressed than stressed position, and the likelihood increased as distance from the stressed syllable increased. There was considerable variability in the use of vocal fry. Frequent and infrequent users varied on the degree to which they used vocal fry in single-syllable nonwords.ConclusionsVocal fry use persists among young adult women even in the absence of syntactic and pragmatic influences. Lexical stress appeared to dramatically reduce the use of vocal fry. Patterns of vocal fry use appeared to be different for frequent and infrequent users of this vocal register.



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Transsexual Voice Questionnaire for Male-to-female Brazilian Transsexual People

Publication date: Available online 14 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Karine Schwarz, Anna Martha Vaitses Fontanari, Andressa Mueller, Angelo Brandelli Costa, Bianca Soll, Dhiordan Cardoso da Silva, Carla Aparecida Cielo, Gabriel Kuhl, Poli Mara Spritzer, Maiko Abel Schneider, Maria Elza Dorfmann, Maria Inês Rodrigues Lobato
ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to verify the answers to the transsexual voice questionnaire for male-to-female transsexual (TVQ^MtF) people given to individuals who participated in the Gender Identity Program (PROTIG) at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, in relation to some of their demographic characteristics, visual-perceptual evaluations of the face, laryngeal prominence, and auditoryperceptual judgments of voice.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 47 transsexual women aged between 18 and 50 responded to the (TVQ^MtF). The demographic data and perceptual ratings were selected from the PROTIG database.ResultsAmong all participants, 55.32% had completed secondary education, and 72.34% had not undergone a sex reassignment surgery; 4.2% of subjects did not use hormones, 23.40% had undergone speech therapy, the average number of years of experience in the female role was 13.98 years, and the participants had been definitively cross-dressing for 5–34 years. Most of the participants had low scores on the (TVQ^MtF), and significant differences in the total score were observed in accordance with age (higher scores were observed among those <30 years and ≥40 years old) and visual-perceptual evaluations of the face (higher scores were observed in the individual evaluated with masculine face). There were no significant correlations between the total score obtained by the participants and the other demographic variables.ConclusionsAlthough most of the participants had low scores on the (TVQ^MtF), some individuals were still experiencing distress due to being perceived as being of the opposite sex or were dissatisfied with their voices.



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Screening for Voice Disorders in Older Adults (RAVI)—Part III: Cutoff Score and Clinical Consistency

Publication date: Available online 13 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Leandro Pernambuco, Albert Espelt, Kenio Costa de Lima
AimThe aim of the study was to determine the cutoff score and clinical consistency of “Screening for Voice Disorders in Older Adults” (RAVI—Rastreamento de Alterações Vocais em Idosos).Study DesignThis is a prospective, nonrandomized, cross-sectional diagnostic study.MethodsA sample of 301 subjects, including both sexes, aged 60 and more, and all of whom were living in either a community or an institution, was studied. To determine which subjects had or did not have voice problems, we used a composite reference standard (auditory-perceptual analysis of sustained vowel phonation, auditory-perceptual analysis of connected speech, and vocal self-assessment). The best cutoff score was identified using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The clinical consistency indicators were co-positivity, co-negativity, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratio, and test efficiency. The significance level was 5%.ResultsThe area under the ROC curve was 0.763 (95% confidence interval: 0.706–0.821), and the best cutoff score for determining which older adults had or did not have a voice disorder was 2. All clinical consistency indicators were satisfactory: co-positivity (79%), co-negativity (60%), predictive positive value (51%), negative predictive value (84%), positive likelihood ratio (2.01), negative likelihood ratio (0.34), and test efficiency (69%).ConclusionsRAVI has satisfactory indicators of clinical consistency and is able to determine which older adults have voice disorders by a cutoff score of 2. The use of RAVI as a screening tool is recommended to help determine the prevalence of voice disorders in older adults.



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Correlation of VHI-30 to Acoustic Measurements Across Three Common Voice Disorders

Publication date: Available online 13 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Ali Dehqan, Fariba Yadegari, Ronald C. Scherer, Peyman Dabirmoghadam
ObjectivesVoice disorders that affect the quality of voice also result in varying degrees of psychological and social problems. The research question here is whether the correlations between Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-30 scores and objective acoustic measures differ in patients with different types of voice disorders.MethodsThe subjects were divided into three groups: muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), benign mid-membranous vocal fold lesions, and unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). All participants were male. The mean age for the groups were 32.85 ± 8.6 years in the MTD group, 33.24 ± 7.32 years in the benign lesions group, and 34.24 ± 7.51 years in the UVFP group. The participants completed the Persian VHI-30 questionnaire. PRAAT software was used to obtain acoustic analyses.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between the physical subscale of the VHI-30 and the total score of the VHI-30 and maximum phonation time (MPT) in the MTD group. Also, there was a significant correlation between the total VHI-30 score and the MPT value. There were relatively strong and significant correlations between the physical subscale of the VHI-30 with jitter and shimmer, harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) for the group with benign lesions such as nodules and polyps. Also, in this group, there was a significant correlation between the total VHI-30 score and the jitter value. The physical scale had strong and significant correlations between jitter, shimmer, and HNR in the unilateral paralysis group.ConclusionsFindings suggest that although the VHI-30 and the acoustic measurements of voice provide independent information, they are associated to some extent.



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Spectral Measures of Hoarseness in Persons with Hyperfunctional Voice Disorder

Publication date: Available online 11 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Narasimhan S.V, Vishal K
The purpose of the present investigation was to understand the spectral differences between individuals with hyperfunctional voice disorders and subjects with normal voice in terms of H1-H2, H1-A1, H1-A2, and H1-A3 (H1, first harmonic amplitude; H2, second harmonic amplitude; A1, amplitude of the most robust harmonic in the region of first formant frequency; A2, amplitude of the strongest harmonic component in the region of second formant frequency; A3, amplitude of the most robust harmonic component in the region of third formant frequency).Study DesignThis study is a standard group comparison.MethodTwo groups of subjects were recruited for the study. Group 1 subjects were diagnosed with hyperfunctional voice disorder secondary to either vocal fold nodule, polyps, or edema, and group 2 subjects had clinically normal voice. Voice recordings of all the participants were collected, and their spectrum was analyzed. Further, the amplitudes from the spectrum were investigated, and the vowel harmonic amplitude differences namely H1-H2, H1-A1, H1-A2, and H1-A3 were calculated.ResultsThe significant effect of groups on all the spectral measures was noted. Individuals with hyperfunctional voice disorders showed a significantly higher amplitude difference, indicating higher spectral noise and breathiness as a result of laryngeal pathology.ConclusionThe present investigation strongly recommends the spectral measures as a quantitative acoustic index of measuring hoarseness. Supplementary researches on this regard would be helpful in differentiating and better quantifying a breathy voice from a modal voice.



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Voice Range Profile and Health-related Quality of Life Measurements Following Voice Rehabilitation After Radiotherapy; a Randomized Controlled Study

Publication date: Available online 15 April 2016
Source:Journal of Voice
Author(s): Lisa Tuomi, Mia Johansson, Ellen Lindell, Lena Folkestad, Maria Malmerfors, Caterina Finizia
PurposeThe aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of voice rehabilitation in patients treated with radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer.MethodA total of 42 patients with laryngeal cancer who are treated with radiotherapy with curative intent participated in a randomized controlled study. The collected data were voice range profiles (VPRs) and patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments for measurement of self-perceived communication function (Swedish Self-Evaluation for Communication Experiences after Laryngeal cancer (S-SECEL)) and health related quality of life (HRQL) (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30/Head and Neck module). Data were collected 1 month (pre voice rehabilitation), 6 months, and 12 months postradiotherapy. Of the patients, 19 received voice rehabilitation, whereas 23 constituted a control group.ResultsThere were several statistically significant improvements in the study group concerning the HRQL and self-perceived communication function. The largest improvements occurred between occasions 1 (prevoice rehabilitation) and 2 (6-month postradiotherapy) and then remained constant. VRP area demonstrated a statistically significant difference when comparing changes over time, where the study group improved more than the control group.ConclusionHRQL and self-perceived communication function showed improvement in the study group and trends of impairment in the control group. This result might suggest that it would be beneficial for the patients as well as in a health economic perspecitve, to receive voice rehabilitatiom to make a faster improvement of the HRQL and self-perceived communication function.



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