Investigating the Central Auditory Processing Damage Caused by Industrial Noise

Background: The Word-In-Noise Perception test (WINP) is a new assessment that assesses the auditory brain function by recognizing speech consonants. The Dichotic Digits Test (DDT) measures the directional superiority of the temporal cortex and brainstem function based on the ability to recognize the tonality of words. So far, the performance of the central auditory processing of industrial personnel has not been investigated by referring to the WINP test. The aim was investigating Central Auditory Processing Damage (CAPD) caused by industrial noise. Methods: This case-control study was conducted in a cross-sectional-comparative way on 69 industrial personnel aged 25-40. The case (n=39) and the control (n=30) groups were evaluated by audiological tests, WINP and DDT. Results: The participants were divided into three groups based on their hearing status: 60 normal ears in the control group, 37 normal ears and 41 abnormal ears in the case group. Mean scores of WINP and DDT in three groups were significantly different from each other (right ear: p’WINP=0.01, p’DDT=0.02 and left ear: p’WINP=0.01, p’DDT= 0.01). The mean scores of WINP and DDT in the abnormal ears of the case group were significant compared to the normal ears of the control group (right ear: p’WINP <0.001, p’DDT <0.001 and left ear: p’WINP =0.02, p’DDT=0.02). Conclusion: In industrial personnel with a history of continuous exposure to noise pollution, there is a possibility of damage to the brainstem and auditory brain functions.