Biomedical subjects

M J Penner

Publications and source records attributed to M J Penner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1989

Adaptation and the masking of tinnitus.

The effect of adaptation on the masking of tinnitus was investigated. Six patients with tinnitus performed two 5-min tracking tasks, each replicated six times. The first task examined the masking of tinnitus by tracking the intensity of a pure tone required to mask the tinnitus. The second task examined adaptation of a suprathreshold tone by tracking the intensity of a pure tone required for constant loudness. For 3 patients, the change required for constant loudness did not differ from the change required for constant maskability. For 3 patients, however, these two changes were different. Possible implications of these results for determining the locus of tinnitus and for the use of tinnitus maskers are discussed.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1989

Empirical tests demonstrating two coexisting sources of tinnitus: a case study.

Empirical tests for a relation between tinnitus and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) have been previously presented (Penner & Burns, 1987). Modification of these tests, however, is necessary for the special case reported here in which a female subject has tinnitus consisting of an annoying SOAE in the right ear and tinnitus unrelated to SOAEs in the left ear. This case is of interest because it provides a forum for extending the tests of Penner and Burns (1987) and because the extended tests can be used to prove that one subject's tinnitus can have two distinct sources.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Partial masking in electrocutaneous sensation: a model for sensation matching, with applications to loudness recruitment.

A model for partial masking and other threshold-elevation effects is presented in the context of a sensation-matching paradigm. The model is applied to an electrocutaneous experiment in which the subjects adjusted stimulus intensity on the right-hand fingertip to match sensation levels of standard stimuli presented to the left fingertip. Concurrent mechanical stimulation on the right fingertip masked sensation magnitude in a way consistent with the model. Similarities between this tactile masking effect and analogous auditory phenomena are explored. When applied to loudness matching, the model describes the general shape of loudness contours and it shows that the steep slopes observed in auditory masking and "recruitment" can be a consequence of a threshold shift alone, without a supranormal growth in loudness. The model also shows that a small response bias can distort plots of sensation matching, leading to the suggestion that some varieties of loudness recruitment may not have a sensory basis.

Discrimination Learning↗

PubMed1988

Audible and annoying spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. A case study.

Four types of evidence indicate that spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) might be the basis of one patient's problematic tinnitus. First, when SOAEs were suppressed, the tinnitus was inaudible. Second, pitch matches to the lowest pitch of the tinnitus corresponded to the lowest frequency of the SOAE. Third, there was a more intense multicomponent SOAE in the right than in the left ear, and patient claimed that the tinnitus was louder in the right ear. Fourth, the patient's SOAEs were unstable and for this reason they might be audible. One practical consequences of this research is that patients with pathological tinnitus (which keeps them awake at night and interferes with concentration) should be tested for SOAEs. Because SOAEs are abolished by aspirin, it is possible that some unusual cases of problematic tinnitus could be easily treated.

Acoustics↗

PubMed1988

The effect of continuous monaural noise on loudness matches to tinnitus.

Data from two psychophysical tasks are presented. In the first, 8 subjects with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus adjusted the intensity of a continuous monaural noise to mask the tinnitus. In the second, in the presence of continuous monaural noise, the same subjects adjusted the intensity of a pulsed monaural tone to match the loudness of the tinnitus. The tone was either ipsilateral or contralateral to the noise. Although the noise level required to mask the tinnitus increased substantially, as did the level of the ipsilateral matching tone, the change in the level of the contralateral matching tone was minimal. One possible explanation of these findings is related to the functioning of the peripheral auditory system.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1988

Judgments and measurements of the loudness of tinnitus before and after masking.

This study explored the relation between changes reported in the perception of the loudness of tinnitus after noise exposure and changes measured in matches to the loudness of tinnitus after noise exposure. Preexposure assessment of the loudness of tinnitus was followed by monaural exposure to wide-band Gaussian noise (for a 5-min period), after which a pulsed, 200-ms tone was presented either ipsilateral or contralateral to the exposed ear. Following each noise exposure, the subject (a) judged the change in the pre- and postexposure tinnitus strength and (b) compared the loudness of the postexposure tinnitus to that of the pure tone. By combining data across noise exposures, a measure of the postexposure tinnitus magnitude was computed. For three of six subjects, the pre- and postexposure magnitude did not differ significantly even though the judgments indicated that the pre- and postexposure loudness of the tinnitus had changed. These data raise the possibility that some loudness judgments reflect variability in the tinnitus rather than the effect of the noise on the tinnitus.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1987

Masking of tinnitus and central masking.

In the first experiment reported here, for subjects with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, the masking of tinnitus is primarily dependent on the masker intensity; masking is nearly independent of masker frequency. In the second experiment reported here, for subjects with normal hearing, the central masking of a continuous tone (used to stimulate the tinnitus) is primarily dependent on the intensity of a contralateral masker; masking is nearly independent of masker frequency. Implications of the flat tuning curves on the design of tinnitus maskers and one possible interpretation of the similarity of tinnitus masking and central masking are discussed.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1987

The dissociation of SOAEs and tinnitus.

Spontaneous oto-acoustic emissions (SOAEs) were detected in 10 of 29 subjects with tinnitus. Because measures of the pitch of tinnitus are highly variable, the relation between the frequency composition of the tinnitus and the frequencies of SOAEs can not be known precisely. This raises the question of whether an observed SOAE could be proven to be the physical basis of an audible tinnitus of unspecified composition. To examine this question, subjects with both SOAEs and tinnitus participated in two demonstrations. First, while the tinnitus was reportedly masked by a high-frequency tone, the SOAE was unchanged. Second, while the SOAE was suppressed, the tinnitus was reportedly audible. Although masking and suppression are not equivalent operations, these findings make it likely that the SOAE and the tinnitus are independent phenomena, at least for these subjects. Additional evidence of the dissociation of SOAEs and tinnitus in these subjects is provided by data showing that suppression tuning curves for SOAEs are frequency-specific, whereas tones at any frequency are equally effective in masking the tinnitus.

Auditory Perception↗

PubMed1986

Tinnitus as a source of internal noise.

For 7 patients with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, pitch and loudness matches were made to the tinnitus. These matches were followed by measurement of three psychometric functions (probability of a correct response as a function of signal level) for pure tones, one in the presumed tinnitus region (i.e., at the average frequency matching the pitch of the tinnitus), one below the minimum frequency of the matches, and one above the maximum frequency of the matches. The data reveal that pitch-loudness matches are usually quite variable and that the slope of the psychometric function is flattest in the presumed tinnitus region. The first result is consistent with the idea that tinnitus is an unstable signal. The second result is consistent with the notion that the unstable tinnitus acts as a source of "internal" noise.

Hearing Loss, Sensorineural↗

PubMed1986

Magnitude estimation and the "paradoxical" loudness of tinnitus.

Ten patients with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus matched external tones to the tinnitus pitch. These matches were followed by magnitude estimates to measure the loudness function of tones at 1 kHz at the presumed tinnitus frequency (i.e., at the average frequency matching the pitch of the tinnitus), magnitude estimates of the tinnitus itself, and loudness matches of external tones to the tinnitus. The slope of the loudness function at 1 kHz is substantially smaller than the slope at the presumed tinnitus frequency. Most importantly, the magnitude estimates of the tinnitus coupled with intensity matches to the tinnitus provide coordinates that typically lie near the loudness function of the external tone used in the intensity match. Because the slope of the loudness function is much greater at the tinnitus frequency than at 1 kHz, the magnitude estimate of tinnitus loudness corresponds to a lower sensation level at that frequency than at 1 kHz. This finding favors the conclusion that rapid changes in loudness of external tones at the tinnitus frequency account for the "paradoxical" loudness of the tinnitus. The conclusion is independent of any mathematical description of the loudness function.

Hearing Loss, Sensorineural↗

PubMed1984

Equal-loudness contours using subjective tinnitus as the standard.

For six patients with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, we determined the level of comparison tones (Co) of various frequencies that were judged to be as loud as the tinnitus (i.e., an equal-loudness contour was obtained). To prevent interactions of the Co and the tinnitus, the Co was chosen to lie outside of the region of pitch matches made to the tinnitus. If the loudness of the tinnitus is assumed to be fixed at L sones, then the level, P, of the Co is nearly predicted from the equation, L = K(P - p0).6 where p0 is the absolute threshold of the Co used for the match. The rate of increase of loudness therefore depends on the threshold of the Co: For constant loudness, the larger the absolute threshold of the Co, the smaller is its sensation level. For persons with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss, therefore, the sensation level of the Co is always smaller in the region of loss than in the normal region. It follows that the sensation level of the Co does not reflect the loudness of the tinnitus; thus, tinnitus cannot be viewed as a weak tone simply because it is matched to a tone at low sensation level.

Audiometry, Pure-Tone↗

PubMed1983

The annoyance of tinnitus and the noise required to mask it.

For 11 patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss, the intensity of bilateral broad-band noise required to mask the tinnitus increased by as much as 41 dB over a 30-minute period. A significant correlation was obtained between the rate of change in the noise over time and reported annoyance of the tinnitus as measured on a 5-point rating scale. The total change in the noise level and the initial noise level required to mask the tinnitus were not significantly correlated with the annoyance of the tinnitus.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1983

Variability in matches to subjective tinnitus.

For patients with noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss, the results of matching a binaurally presented comparison tone to subjective tinnitus during a 20-day test period are reported. As a control, results of matching an external comparison tone to a standard tone are also presented. The variability for tinnitus measurements was extremely large relative to comparable measures for objective stimuli. The relevance of this finding to the nature of tinnitus and to the construction of tinnitus maskers is discussed.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1982

The role of selected health problems in the causation of juvenile delinquency.

This paper examines the role of selected health problems in the causation of delinquency. These problems are considered in the framework of sociological theories of delinquency causation in order to attempt to integrate research from the fields of optometry, audiology, neurology, and pediatric medicine into the mainstream of sociological theories of delinquency causation. A review of the research indicates strong and consistent relationships between the presence of these health problems and delinquency, especially more serious delinquency. While the research indicates a direct and consistent relationship, it suggests but does not establish a causal one. Nevertheless, the findings are provocative in indicating future research directions and in suggesting policy initiatives for those concerned with the prevention of some portion of delinquency.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

The temporal course of the masking of tinnitus as a basis for inferring its origin.

For patients with tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss, the intensity of broad-band noise required to mask the tinnitus increases by as much as 45 dB during a 30-minute period if the patient is exposed to noise. In contrast, the intensity required to mask an external tone remains nearly constant. Some speculations which might account for this result are offered. Excess neural activity is posited to be the physiological determinant of tinnitus and to be central, generated in the brainstem postsynaptic to the eighth nerve.

Auditory Threshold↗

PubMed1980

Two-tone forward masking patterns and tinnitus.

Forward masking is the masking of a signal by a preceding masker. For normal observers, if two tones are employed as the forward masker, the addition of the second tone (which increases the masker energy) may make the signal easier to hear. This decrease in the masking effect (or unmasking) has been interpreted as evidence for lateral suppression in hearing. For five subjects with tinnitus, all of whom have a sensorineural loss caused by noise trauma or noise exposure, there is no unmasking for (at least) one signal frequency in the region of the tinnitus. However, unmasking does occur for (at least) one signal frequency in the region without tinnitus. The frequency region of the tinnitus is inferred from pitch matches and from determination of the frequency region of the noise needed to mask it. For comparison, data from three normal subjects also are included. For the subjects with tinnitus, two-tone forward masking patterns are decidedly different in the normal and the tinnitus regions.

Audiometry↗

PubMed1980

Nonlinearities in the coding of intensity within the context of a temporal summation model.

A model of temporal summation and intensity coding relates the subject's internal percept y(t) to the stimulus input x(t) by the equation y(t) = g(St - oof[x(tau)] h [t, tau, x (tau)]d tau). In words, some transformation f[x (t)] of the stimulus intensity is weighted by a function h and integrated; the result is transformed into the internal percept by a function g. This system postulates a linear integral operator preceded and followed by transformations which may be nonlinear. Based on forward masking of clicks by white noise, we (1) show that the above characterization of the model is appropriate (which involves showing that there is a linear temporal summation stage), and (2) derive certain characteristics of the system's nonlinearities. In particular, the integral of h times f is shown to be a nonlinear function of the input intensity exhibiting more compression than a power function. It is also shown that h must depend upon the intensity of the stimulus.

Auditory Perception↗

PubMed1980

The coding of intensity and the interaction of forward and backward masking.

In general, the detectability of a signal preceded and followed by noise maskers is less than the prediction based on a simple addition of the effects of the maskers (i.e., an intensity sum). Data verifying and extending this finding were collected in a variety of conditions in which the two maskers either surrounded the signal in time or preceded it. These data are used to support two related claims. First, the failure of the intensity-sum argument is likely to be due to nonlinearities in the coding of intensity. Second, the signal threshold is a monotonic measure of the internal percept at essentially the same time relative to the signal for different masking conditions. This latter result negates the integrator-movement hypothesis (which holds that the time varies) and provides important support for the chain of derivations obtained by Penner and Shiffrin [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 67, 617-627 (1980)].

Adult↗