Are annoyance scores based on sound pressure levels suitable for snoring assessment in the home environment?

Purpose An objective statement about the annoyance of snoring can be made with the Psychoacoustic Snore Score (PSS). The PSS was developed based on subjective assessments and is strongly influenced by observed sound pressure levels. Robustness against day-to-day interfering noises is a fundamental r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sleep & breathing 2021-03, Vol.25 (1), p.417-424
Main Authors: Fischer, René, Unverdorben, Franziska, Kuehnel, Thomas S., Vielsmeier, Veronika, Spanier, Gerrit, Marcrum, Steven C., Rohrmeier, Christian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dentistry
ENT • Original
ENT • Original Article
Home environment
Internal Medicine
Laboratories
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neurology
Noise
Otorhinolaryngology
Pediatrics
Pneumology/Respiratory System
Pressure
Sleep
Sound
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Summary:Purpose An objective statement about the annoyance of snoring can be made with the Psychoacoustic Snore Score (PSS). The PSS was developed based on subjective assessments and is strongly influenced by observed sound pressure levels. Robustness against day-to-day interfering noises is a fundamental requirement for use at home. This study investigated whether or not the PSS is suitable for use in the home environment. Methods Thirty-six interfering noises, which commonly occur at night, were played in the acoustic laboratory in parallel with 5 snoring sounds. The interfering noises were each presented at sound pressure levels ranging from 25 to 55 dB(A), resulting in 3255 distinct recordings. Annoyance was then assessed using the PSS. Results In the case of minimally annoying snoring sounds, interfering noises with a sound pressure level of 25 dB(A) caused significant PSS changes from 40 to 55 dB(A) for annoying snoring sounds. If the interfering noise was another snoring sound, the PSS was more robust depending on the sound pressure level of the interfering noise up to 10 dB(A). Steady (no-peak) interfering noises influenced the PSS more strongly than peak noises. Conclusions The PSS is significantly distorted by quiet interfering noises. Its meaningfulness therefore depends strongly on the acoustic environment. It may therefore be assumed that scores dependent on sound pressure level are suitable for measurements when there is minimal ambient noise, as in the sleep laboratory. However, for measurements where noise is incalculable, as in the home environment, interfering noises may distort the results.
ISSN:1520-9512
1522-1709
DOI:10.1007/s11325-020-02108-y