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Sensitivity to noise in a community sample: II. Measurement of psychophysiological indices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

S. A. Stansfeld ,
C. R. Clark ,
G. Turpin ,
L. M. Jenkins  and
A. Tarnopolsky
S. A. Stansfeld*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
C. R. Clark
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
G. Turpin
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
L. M. Jenkins
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
A. Tarnopolsky
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr S. A. Stansfeld, General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF.
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Synopsis

A sample of 77 women of high and low noise sensitivity in 1977, living in areas of high and low exposure to aircraft noise, were interviewed in the community in 1980. High, intermediate and low noise sensitive women were compared, using measures of blood pressure, heart rate, skin conductance, hearing threshold, uncomfortable loudness level and magnitude estimation of six tones. These physiological measures did not clearly distinguish different noise sensitivity groups, except that highly noise sensitive women had a consistently slower heart rate. Noise sensitivity was not related to auditory threshold. In the high aircraft noise area there were significantly more skin conductance responses than in the low aircraft noise area, irrespective of noise sensitivity. This may be the result of chronic exposure to high aircraft noise.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , May 1985 , pp. 255 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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