Effects of Military Noise Exposure on Auditory Function in Service Members and Recently Discharged Veterans
Abstract
Rationale, Scientific Objective, and Aims: During their military service, Service Members are exposed to many types of loud noise. The advent of jet aircraft during World War II was a turning point in recognizing noise-induced hearing loss as a significant health risk because so many Service Members returned home with hearing loss. Since then, understanding of noise-related auditory damage and efforts to prevent this damage through hearing conservation programs have advanced considerably, but many questions remain. Our Noise Outcomes in Service members Epidemiology (NOISE) study is addressing these questions. The objective is to gather information from active-duty Service Members, and Veterans recently separated from military service, about their military and non-military noise exposures, other relevant military and non-military exposures, tinnitus, hearing loss, and other hearing-related health concerns. The aims are to (1) determine if early patterns of hearing loss and tinnitus among Service Members and Veterans persist, and whether new cases of hearing loss and tinnitus develop, in the decade following separation from military service; and (2) identify military and post-military exposures that are associated with the onset and progression of hearing loss, tinnitus, and other auditory complaints during military service and in the decade following service separation. This project will extend and expand the study, which has been funded by the Department of Defense (DOD) since 2013 at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Rehabilitation Research & Development (RR&D) National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) in Portland, Oregon; and since 2014 at the DoD Hearing Center of Excellence (HCE) in San Antonio, Texas. Over 1,000 Service Members and Veterans have enrolled in the NOISE study. FY21 JWMRP Focus Areas That the Project Addresses: The proposed research addresses the Focus Area, Military Operational Medicine Research Program (MOMRP) with respect to (1) exposure to environmental toxicant health hazards, (2) measures to diagnose, assess, and treat Service Members to…minimize personal impact to the Service Member to promote, optimize, and enhance readiness, (3) interventions to…improve individual and team performance in training and operational settings, and (4) solutions to …enhance readiness and psychological health (JWMRP Program Announcement, pp. 4-5). Each of these concerns is impacted by hearing loss and tinnitus. The end-goal of the NOISE study is to provide information that will contribute to the prevention of hearing loss and tinnitus, and reduction of their effects, in Service Members. Types of patients this project will help, and how it will help them. Outcomes of this work will have a significant clinical impact for Service Members, Veterans, and healthcare providers. The project would fund the HCE site for years 2-4 of the current RR&D grant that funds testing only in Portland for 4 years, ending in 2025. A third testing site will be added in Southern California to increase recruitment and enrollment of Navy and Marine Corps Service Members, who are under-represented in our sample of over 1,000 participants. The information gained from the study can be used in future resource planning with the goal of preventing the development of hearing loss and tinnitus during military service, and their worsening following service. Potential Clinical Applications, Benefits, and Risks: Risks of participating in the NOISE study are minimal. The information obtained will be used to better understand the magnitude of hearing loss and tinnitus as a problem for Service Members and Veterans, and to identify noise exposure and other factors that contribute to their risk of these problems over time. Findings will be used to develop tools that can be integrated into clinical practice to guide assessment and rehabilitative efforts for these prevalent and costly auditory conditions. Projected Ti
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210142
Entities
People
- Kelly M Reavis
Organizations
- United States Army
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Oregon)