Effects of background noise on audiometric thresholds during positron emission tomography: passive and active noise-reduction.

Position emission tomography (PET) is used to assess the functional activity of the human auditory brain; however, the activity detected by PET could be affected by ambient acoustic noise from the PET equipment. To evaluate these effects, we compared behavioural thresholds in the PET camera with those measured in an audiometric sound booth. Thresholds were measured with: (i) ER2 earphones, (ii) ER2 earphones + Cabot earmuffs, (iii) ER2 earphones + Bose Series II Aviation Headset with active noise-reduction off, and (iv) ER2 earphones + Bose Series II Aviation Headset with active noise-reduction on. Overall ambient noise level in the camera was 73 dB SPL and the maximum octave-band SPL was 68 dB SPL at 250 Hz. Threshold elevations in the PET camera were greatest with ER2 (17 dB, 125 Hz) earphones and lowest with ER2 earphones + Bose Series II Aviation Headset (8 dB at 250 Hz) with active noise-reduction. Thus, PET scanner noise had little or no effect on threshold when stimuli were presented through ER2 earphones covered with an activated Bose Series II Aviation Headset.