Noise pollution has been linked to learning and language deficits in children, but the causal mechanisms connecting noise to cognitive deficiencies re

Traffic noise interferes with vocal development and weakens the immune system.

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2021-05-17 12:51:02

Noise pollution has been linked to learning and language deficits in children, but the causal mechanisms connecting noise to cognitive deficiencies remain unclear because experimental models are lacking. Here, we investigated the effects of noise on birdsong learning, the primary animal model for vocal learning and speech development in humans. We found that traffic noise exposure retarded vocal development and led to learning inaccuracies. In addition, noise suppressed immune function during the sensitive learning period, indicating that it is a potent stressor for birds, which is likely to compromise their cognitive functions. Our results provide important insights into the consequences of noise pollution and pave the way for future studies using birdsong as an experimental model for the investigation of noise-induced learning impairments.

Noise pollution has been classified as one of the main environmental threats to public health (1). In the European Union alone, more than 100 million people are affected by hazardous noise levels from vehicle and aircraft traffic, and this number is projected to increase because of future urban growth and an increased demand for mobility (2). Although traffic noise levels are usually too low to cause physical damage to the ear, chronic noise exposure at equivalent levels of 55- to 60-dB(A) sound pressure level (SPL) can already cause severe nonauditory health effects such as a considerable increase in the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases that may lead to premature mortality (1, 3). In addition, noise exposure has been linked to impaired cognitive function, such as learning and language deficits in children (3–5). In both adults and children, chronic noise can lead to an increase in the levels of biomarkers for stress, such as catecholamines and glucocorticoids (3, 6). Two pathways have been accounted for this response: emotional stress reactions due to perceived discomfort and nonconscious physiological stress from direct interactions between the central auditory system and other brain regions (3). However, the causal mechanisms linking chronic noise exposure, stress, and learning impairments in children have not been clearly identified.

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