Lindsay Huntoon is absolutely right about this study --- WHAT???? It is full of mistakes, and its conclusion is almost laughable.
(1)	The authors are “From the Departments of Speech Pathology and Audiology (Hodgetts) and of Otolaryngology (Liu), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; and the Craniofacial Osseointegration and Maxillofacial Prosthetic Rehabilitation Unit (COMPRU), Caritas Health Group (Hodgetts), Edmonton, Alta.” Which might suggest they are Edmonton Oiler fans and a researcher should NEVER study something in which they might have a personal (or financial) interest.
(2)	As the study goes – “To measure cumulative sound exposure, the second author wore a noise dosimeter to games 3, 4 and 6 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes. The effect on the hearing function of the second author and his wife was measured by audiological testing immediately before and after game 3.”  Okay, let me get this straight. You measure the impact on hearing “after game 3” but you purchase tickets for games 3, 4, and 6. What a deal that is!!!
(3) As was a big issue from the very first time the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in baseball (1987?), it is pretty standard knowledge that “The average exposure levels for each game (> 3 hours) were 104.1, 100.7 and 103.1 dB. Standards have been defined for maximum allowable daily noise doses,2 and an average level of 85 dB A for 8 hours is generally considered the maximum allowable daily noise dose.” But then the author grabs the following out of his hat, or other part of his anatomy, that “For each 3 dB increase in average noise level, the time you can safely stay at a level is halved. Thus, at 88 dB, it would take only 4 hours to reach the maximum allowable daily noise dose, at 91 dB it would take only 2 hours, and so on.” Given that the basis is 85dB, a 3dB increase is 3.5% increase and this 3.5% increase creates a half life of from 8 hours to 4 hours in exposure? Bull.
(4) Then it is reported that “Pure-tone audiometric data indicated that the hearing thresholds of both subjects deteriorated by 5 to 10 dB for most frequencies. … Whereas 5 to 10 dB may be within the test–retest confidence limits of pure-tone audiometry… It is important to note that this temporary threshold shift usually disappears in a day or two.” Which means they discovered nothing of consequence but reported it anyway based on one game’s testing, and used the rest of the money for the research to attend two additional games. What a deal!!!

No wonder society does not want doctors to advertise, because their reporting of research is such garbage. 

Nathan Hampton


-----Original Message-----
From: - Hockey-L - The College Hockey Discussion List on behalf of Lindsay Huntoon
Sent: Wed 12/13/2006 7:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Can hockey playoffs harm your hearing?"
 
WHAT???????

Indy Rutks wrote:

> Another academic study that may be of interest to hockey fans:
>
> http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/175/12/1541
>
>
> -Indy
>

-- 
Lindsay A. Huntoon
Let's Go Maine Black Bears
www.sudsandsports.blogspot.com