title: Sound localization and occupational noise.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the effects of occupational noise on sound localization in different spatial planes and frequencies among normal hearing firefighters.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 29 adults with pure-tone hearing thresholds below 25 dB took part in the study. The participants were divided into a group of 19 firefighters exposed to occupational noise and a control group of 10 adults who were not exposed to such noise. All subjects were assigned a sound localization task involving 117 stimuli from 13 sound sources that were spatially distributed in horizontal, vertical, midsagittal and transverse planes. The three stimuli, which were square waves with fundamental frequencies of 500, 2,000 and 4,000 Hz, were presented at a sound level of 70 dB and were randomly repeated three times from each sound source. The angle between the speaker's axis in the same plane was 45°, and the distance to the subject was 1 m.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results demonstrate that the sound localization ability of the firefighters was significantly lower (p<0.01) than that of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to occupational noise, even when not resulting in hearing loss, may lead to a diminished ability to locate a sound source.
authors: Universidade Estadual de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas (UNCISAL), Acoustic Instrumentation Laboratory, MaceióAL, Brazil, Universidade Estadual de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas (UNCISAL), Acoustic Instrumentation Laboratory, Maceió/AL, Brazil.
authors: Pedro de Lemos
authors: Pde L
authors: Menezes
authors: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de FonoaudiologiaRecifePE, Brazil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Recife/PE, Brazil.
authors: Kelly Cristina Lira de
authors: KC
authors: Andrade
authors: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de FonoaudiologiaRecifePE, Brazil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Recife/PE, Brazil.
authors: Aline Tenório Lins
authors: AT
authors: Carnaúba
authors: Universidade Estadual de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas (UNCISAL), Acoustic Instrumentation Laboratory, MaceióAL, Brazil, Universidade Estadual de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas (UNCISAL), Acoustic Instrumentation Laboratory, Maceió/AL, Brazil.
authors: Frantänia B
authors: FB
authors: Cabral
authors: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de FonoaudiologiaRecifePE, Brazil, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Recife/PE, Brazil.
authors: Mariana de Carvalho
authors: Mde C
authors: Leal
authors: Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP), Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, São PauloSP, Brazil, Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP), Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors: Liliane Desgualdo
authors: LD
authors: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D012016:Reference Values; D013017:Sound Localization / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult