Introduction Enhanced auditory perception in musicians is likely to result from auditory perceptual learning during several years of training and practice. Many studies have focused on biological processing of auditory stimuli among musicians. However, there is a lack of literature on temporal resolution and active auditory discrimination skills in vocal musicians. Objective The aim of the present study is to assess temporal resolution and active auditory discrimination skill in vocal musicians. Method The study participants included 15 vocal musicians with a minimum professional experience of 5 years of music exposure, within the age range of 20 to 30 years old, as the experimental group, while 15 age-matched non-musicians served as the control group. We used duration discrimination using pure-tones, pulse-train duration discrimination, and gap detection threshold tasks to assess temporal processing skills in both groups. Similarly, we assessed active auditory discrimination skill in both groups using Differential Limen of Frequency (DLF). All tasks were done using MATLab software installed in a personal computer at 40dBSL with maximum likelihood procedure. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS (version 17.0). Result Descriptive statistics showed better threshold for vocal musicians compared with non-musicians for all tasks. Further, independent t-test showed that vocal musicians performed significantly better compared with non-musicians on duration discrimination using pure tone, pulse train duration discrimination, gap detection threshold, and differential limen of frequency. Conclusion The present study showed enhanced temporal resolution ability and better (lower) active discrimination threshold in vocal musicians in comparison to non-musicians.

BACKGROUND:The Enhanced Suppression of the Platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor with Integrilin Therapy (ESPRIT) trial compared the use of eptifibatide with placebo in 2064 coronary intervention patients. It was previously reported that Canadian patients had reduced rates of 30-day and one-year death, myocardial infarction (MI) or targetvessel revascularization (TVR) compared with patients in the United States (US). OBJECTIVE: To examine whether operator or institutional volume differences explain the regional variation in clinical outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS:Each site received an operator and institutional volume survey. Fifty-seven sites (62%) returned complete data on 1338 patients. In this smaller cohort, Canadian patients had reduced rates of 30-day and one-year death, MI or TVR compared with US patients (6.3% versus 10.3% and 14.9% versus 20.1%, respectively; P<0.05 for both comparisons). Among 176 physicians with a median of 13 years experience, the median operator volume was 200 cases per year. Operators with fewer than 100 cases per year had higher rates of 30-day death, MI or TVR (13.2% versus 8.7%; P=0.18) and large MI (7.7% versus 3.3%; P=0.06) than those with 100 or more cases per year. The median institutional volume was 1064 cases per year. Canadian and US centres had similar operator and institutional volumes. By multivariate modelling, operator volume was not predictive of adverse clinical events. However, the rates of 30-day and one-year death, MI or TVR fell by 3% for every 100 patients treated by the institution (OR 0.97; P=0.058 and P=0.002, respectively). Enrollment in Canada was associated with improved outcomes at 30 days (OR 0.50; P=0.001) and one year (OR 0.66; P=0.001) despite inclusion of volume variables in the models. CONCLUSIONS: In the ESPRIT study, institutional volume was associated with a modest reduction in risk of death, MI or TVR over short-and long-term follow-up periods. The Canadian and US investigators and institutions selected in ESPRIT had similar annual procedural volumes. Therefore, volume variables did not explain the differential risk of clinical events observed for patients enrolled in the two countries. MÉTHODOLOGIE ET RÉSULTATS :Chaque établissement a reçu un sondage sur le volume de l'opérateur et de l'établissement. Cinquante-sept établissements (62 %) ont retourné des données complètes sur 1 338 patients. Dans cette cohorte plus petite, les patients canadiens présentaient un taux réduit de décès au bout de 30 jours et d'un an, d'IM ou de RVC par rapport aux patients des États-Unis (6,3 % par rapport à 10,3 % et 14,9 % par rapport à 20,1 %, respectivement; P<0,05 dans les deux comparaisons). Chez les 176 médecins ayant une expérience médiane de 13 ans, le volume médian de l'opérateur était de 200 cas par année. Les opérateurs voyant moins de 100 cas par année présentaient un taux plus élevé de décès au bout de 30 jours, d'IM ou de RVC (13,2 % par rapport à 8,7 %; P=0,18) et de gros IM (7,7 % par rapport à 3,3 %; P=0,06) que ceux en voyant au moins 100 par...

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The present study attempts to determine diurnal changes by testing the differential sensitivity and temporal resolution in morning-type, evening-type, and intermediate-type individuals with normal hearing. Thirty participants with normal hearing were divided into morning-type, evening-type, and intermediate-type using “Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire”. The tests of differential sensitivity and temporal resolution were administered to all the participants in the morning and evening, respectively. The differences in the test results between different timing across all the three groups were analyzed. The results of the study showed that there was a significant diurnal effect on psychoacoustic tests as morning-type individuals performed better when tested in morning and evening-type performed better when they were tested in evening. However, there was no diurnal effect found in intermediate group. The lack of inhibitory control and poor cognitive load in off peak time could have lead to poor scores. Thus, the variable of diurnal effects should be considered in further studies on psychoacoustic tests, especially in young adults. Furthermore, studies could be performed to explore diurnal effects on objective audiological tests in a larger group of population in the future.