title: The influence of eye colour on susceptibility to TTS in humans.
abstract: In order to investigate the function of the inner ear melanin, noise-induced temporary hearing loss (temporary threshold shift, TTS) was studied in humans with either blue or brown iris colour. Sixty-eight normally hearing teenage boys participated in this study. Hearing thresholds before and after exposure were established with a computerized sweep frequency audiometer in the frequency range 0.8-8 kHz. The noise exposure consisted of a 1/3 octave band-filtered noise with centre frequency 2 kHz at 105 dB SPL for 10 min. The mean TTS in the frequency range 2-8 kHz showed a significant difference with the brown-eyed subjects developing least TTS, and the blue-eyed subjects most TTS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barrenäs
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lindgren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001305:Auditory Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000502:physiology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005127:Eye Color; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins