Influence of recreational noise on temporal fine structure processing in college going students

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of noise exposure due to recreational activities and usage of Personal Listening Devices (PLD) is rising. This study investigated the effects of recreational noise exposure on temporal auditory processing in young adults with clinically normal hearing. METHODS: A total of 123 college students aged 18- to 25-years, all of whom exhibited normal Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) results, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Recreational noise exposure was estimated using the Exposed Noise and Hearing Disorders of Conscripts (ENHDC) questionnaire, and participants were categorised into low and high exposure groups. Auditory processing was assessed through three behavioural tasks: 1) Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN), using Kannada sentences presented in four-talker babble to determine Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR-50); 2) Temporal Fine Structure ‒ Adaptive Frequency (TFS-AF), to evaluate binaural phase sensitivity; and 3) Amplitude Modulation Detection (AMD), using a 5 kHz tone modulated at 19 Hz to evaluate temporal envelope processing. RESULTS: Non-parametric analyses revealed significantly poorer SPIN scores in the high-exposure group (p = 0.035), alongside marginal but statistically significant elevations in PTA thresholds for both ears (p < 0.05), though still within clinical norms. No significant group differences were observed in TFS-AF (p = 0.737) or AMD (p = 0.153), although AMD thresholds were slightly elevated in the high exposure group. Extended High Frequency Audiometry (EHFA) findings showed a non-significant increase in elevated thresholds above 8 kHz. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that recreational noise exposure may produce subtle deficits in suprathreshold auditory processing before measurable hearing loss occurs. Early identification using speech-in-noise tasks and behavioural temporal assessments may support preventive strategies to safeguard auditory health in at-risk populations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.