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Retrospectacle:ANeuroscienceBlog
MelaninHelpsBlacksHearBetterThanWhites
PostedbyShelleyBattsonJune16,2006
(8)
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HattiptoAbelPharmboyforthisfascinatingstory!ArecentUSgovernmentstudyhasfoundthat:
a)Blackadultshearbetterthanwhiteadults
b)Womenhearbetterthanmen
c)AveragehearingthresholdsarethesameintheUSastheywere35yearsago(despitethemuchmaligned
iPodandWalkman!)
(Moreunderthefold.)

Thelargesamplesizestudy(5,000people)wasconductedbytheNationalInstituteforOccupationalSafetyand
Health,andmirrorstheresultsofsmaller,previousstudies.Thisstudyexaminedhearingtestscollectedfrom
1999to2004aspartofacomprehensivefederalhealthsurvey(unpublished,whichmakesmeuneasy,butitIS
thegovernment.).Thehearingtestinvolvedwearingheadphonesandpressingabuttonifyouheardatone
(whichvariesinfrequencyandloudness).
Thehearingdifferencebetweenwhitesandblacksmaybeattributedtotheskinpigmentmelanin,whichsome
scientistshypothesizetoplayaroleinprotectingtheearfromprogressivehearingloss.Aresearcherinthe
studyproposedthatmelaninmayaidtheremovalofharmfulchemicalcompoundscausedbydamagetothe
cochleashaircells.Mypersonalopinioncanaddanotherdimensiontothistheory.Astripoffleshyvasculature
(bloodvessels)spiralsaroundtheinsideofthecochlea,calledthestriavascularis.Thisprovidesnutrientsand
oxygentotheorganofCorti(wherethehaircellsare),butalsoservesasaconduitforchemicalsanddrugsin
thebloodstreamtodamagetheinnerear.TheguineapigsIworkwithinmyresearcharealwayspigmented
(ratherthanalbino,whichisthenorm),becausepigmentedguineapigshavemelaninintheirstriavascular
whilealbinoguineapigslackit.Incidentally,thistranslatesintopigmentedguineapigsbeingmoreresistantto
haircelldamageanddeafness,andmakesthemabetterclinicalmodel.Thiswouldalsohelpexplainwhyalbino
peoplehaveagreaterincidenceofhearinglossthanthegeneralpopulation.Ibelievethatthemelaninprevents
harmfulchemicalsfromgettingintotheinnerearinthefirstplace,inadditiontoaidinginremovingthem.(This
wouldbeagreatgrantforsomeone!)
Asforthegenderdifferences,thestudywasunabletopinpointwhethergeneticsorenvironmentplayedabigger
role.
Boyshavetypicallydonenoisieractivities,ElliotBerger[anIndianapolisbasedhearing
protectionexpert]said.
Inmyopinion,justasmenaremuchlesslikelythanwomentoseekoutmedicalattention,taketheirmedicine
astheyshould,wearsunscreen,etc,theywouldalsobelesslikelytotakepreventativemeasurestoprotecttheir
hearing.Ithinkthatyounggirlsandboysareexposedtoequallynoisyactivities,butthechoicesofjobslater
inlifedotiltmentomorecommonlynoisyjobs(constructionworker,airlinebaggagehandlerorrunway
attendant,musicianorstagehand,lawnmower,truckdriver,etc).
Onaverage,womenweremoresensitivetohigherfrequencytones(whichisthefirsttogowithage)andcould
hearhighertonesat1122decibelsascomparedto1932decibelsformen.Blacks(onaverage)couldhearhigh
frequencytonesat1522decibels,whitescouldhearthemat2132decibels,andMexicanAmericanscould
hearthemfrom1625decibels.Thelowerthedecibelthresholdmentioned,thebetterthehearingofthegroup.
(8)
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Comments
1. #1razib
June17,2006
ah,youicepeoplearedeaftothebeautyoftheworld!

2. #2Shelley

June17,2006
Ahyes,butwewomenstillgotyoubeat.

3. #3Jeebus
June17,2006
Shelley,wheredidyoureceiveyourundergraduateeducation?

4. #4razib
June17,2006
jeebus,whatagewereyouwhenyoulostyourvirginity?(sincewereonrandomofftopic?sonthis
thread

5. #5Joseph
June17,2006
Ifitisthemelanin,thenyouwouldexpectagradientinthiseffect,parallelwithskincolor.Thefinding
thatlatino/latinapersonswereintermediate,betweenblackandwhitefolks,wouldseemtosupportthat.I
wouldwonder,though,iftherewouldbeaconfoundingfactor,withthoseofhighersocioeconomicstatus
beingmorelikelytoworkinnoisyprofessions.
Onepotentialproblemwiththiskindofresearchisthatskincolordoesnotalwayscorrelatewellwitha
personsidentifiedrace.Ifyouwantedtostudythis,youdhavetoactuallymeasurethedarknessofthe
skin,andyoudhavetotakethemeasurementonapartoftheskinthatisrarelyexposedtothesun.

6. #6Shelley
June17,2006
Jeebus,IwenttoNewCollegeofFlorida,gotaBiochemistrybachelorsthere.(http://www.ncf.edu)
Joseph,thoseareallexcellentpoints.Itwouldcertiainlypointtoagradienteffectespeciallywhenyou
considerpeoplewhoarearealbinocanexperiencehighenedhearingloss.Itwouldbeinterestingtotest
verydarkpeople,andseeifthisholdsup.AndsocieoeconomicfactorsalsoImsurehavearoletoplay
(althoughmosttherichkidsIknewgotfrontrowticketstotheconcerts,soIcanhavethelastlaughon
thatone).Ithinkthat,asthistheoryisinitsinfancy,measureswillbecomemoresophisticatedasthe
resultsdevelop.Thereisperhapsalsoalittlehesitancetouseskincolorasaralllingpointonthedata,
causeitsbeenburnedbefore.Heh.

7. #7Janne
June17,2006
Wouldntyouratherexpectsocioeconomicstatustobeinverselyproportionaltohearingloss?Manyof
thenoisiestjobsaround(mining,heavyindustry,construction,barandnighclubwork)arelowonthe

socioeconomicladder,whilemanyofthequieterones(librarian,authorandcolumnist,software
development)arefairlyhigh.Also,Illgooutonalimbandsaythatingeneraltheawarenessof(and
concernabout)hearingdamageishigheramongthosewithhighereducation.

8. #8RILA
April3,2009
Hello,
Iaminterestedinthisstudyfortheveryfactthatyouhavetestedananimalwithmalanin.Couldyoutell
mewhybothtypesofanimalsarenotusedinlaboratorystudies?Ihavelearnedmedicineshavedifferent
effectsondifferentracesofpeople,especiallypeoplewithdarkmelanin.Iwonderwhyweonlyusethe
animalwholacksmelaninandthenrecommendmedsforpeopleofbothtypes.Doesntmakesenseto
me.
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