The influence of ski helmets on sound perception and sound localisation on the ski slope

• Authors: Lana Ružić , Anton Tudor , Ivan Radman , Mario Kasović , Vjekoslav Cigrovski

Abstracts

EN

Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate whether a ski helmet interferes with the sound localization and the time of sound perception in the frontal plane. Material and Methods Twenty-three participants (age 30.7±10.2) were tested on the slope in 2 conditions, with and without wearing the ski helmet, by 6 different spatially distributed sound stimuli per each condition. Each of the subjects had to react when hearing the sound as soon as possible and to signalize the correct side of the sound arrival. Results The results showed a significant difference in the ability to localize the specific ski sounds; 72.5±15.6% of correct answers without a helmet vs. 61.3±16.2% with a helmet (p < 0.01). However, the performance on this test did not depend on whether they were used to wearing a helmet (p = 0.89). In identifying the timing, at which the sound was firstly perceived, the results were also in favor of the subjects not wearing a helmet. The subjects reported hearing the ski sound clues at 73.4±5.56 m without a helmet vs. 60.29±6.34 m with a helmet (p < 0.001). In that case the results did depend on previously used helmets (p < 0.05), meaning that that regular usage of helmets might help to diminish the attenuation of the sound identification that occurs because of the helmets. Conclusions Ski helmets might limit the ability of a skier to localize the direction of the sounds of danger and might interfere with the moment, in which the sound is firstly heard.

Keywords

EN

skiing; ski helmet; sound localization; hearing

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 28
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 389-394

Dates

published

2015

Contributors

author

Lana Ružić

• University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Faculty of Kinesiology, Department of Sport and Exercise Medicine)

author

Anton Tudor

• University of Rijeka, Lovran, Croatia (Clinics for Orthopedics)

author

Ivan Radman

• University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (Institute of Sport Science)

author

Mario Kasović

• University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Faculty of Kinesiology, Department of Sport and Exercise Medicine)

author

Vjekoslav Cigrovski

• University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia (Faculty of Kinesiology, Department of Sport and Exercise Medicine)

Identifiers

DOI

10.13075/ijomeh.1896.00590

Biblioteka Nauki

2177410