title: The effects of earphones and music on the temperature measured by infrared tympanic thermmeter: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of the study was to evaluate the effect on subjects' temperature measurement readings when using the infrared tympanic thermometer after correct earphone placement and use, with or without music transmission through the earphone.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparative study design was adopted. A sample of 39 healthy people was randomly divided into three groups. Subjects in all groups used an earphone that had been correctly placed in the right ear only: Group 1: listened to heavy metal music through the earphone (13 participants); Group 2: listened to classical music through the earphone (13 participants); Group 3: no music or sound was transmitted through the earphone (13 participants). Average differences (CI 95%) and Pearson correlations for the temperature measured in the right ear, which was exposed to the different independent variables, and the left ear which was not exposed, were calculated at different times: (1) after 10 minutes compared to the baseline measurement; (2) after 30 minutes compared to the 10 minutes measurement; and (3) after 30 minutes compared to the baseline measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inter-ear temperature correlation at the baseline was Pearson r .801 (p = .01). There was a significant decrease in the correlations between right and left ear temperatures in Group 1 and in Group 3 which was demonstrated after 10 minutes of earphone use, and reached critical values after 30 minutes of use in all groups. The average warmth in the right ear, as perceived by participants after 20 minutes, was reported. Using the Numerical Rating Score the average was 3.3 +/- 1.3 for Group 1, for Group 2 was 1.9 +/- 1.3 and for Group 3 was 3.3 +/- 1.2 (p = .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limitations of the study, which involved a limited number of healthy people the results show that it is best to not measure tympanic temperature in an ear that has very recently had an earphone in place.
authors.forename: Alvisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palese
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pasqualini
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001831:Body Temperature; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D013821:Thermometers; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult