None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The study hypothesis is that exposure to infrasound, compared with the sham exposure, is associated with impaired sleep quality. We will randomly allocate participants to one of two groups. One group will receive speakers that generate wind farm simulated infrasound and the other group will receive speakers that generate no sound (sham). The speakers will be installed in the bedroom, will operate continuously and remain in place for 1 month. In addition, to impairment of sleep quality we will assess whether six months exposure to wind farm simulated infrasound is associated with other health effects such as annoyance, impaired neurobehavioural and neurocognitive performance, impaired vestibular function, increased arterial stiffness, increased blood pressure, mood, anxiety and stress. Secondly, to investigate whether experiencing an excess of symptoms that have been attributed to Wind Turbine Syndrome is related to baseline levels of stress and anxiety.
Interventions
Participants will be randomised to one of two groups. One group exposed to one month of continuous infrasound speaker exposure and the other group exposed to sham (no sound) speaker exposure. The key exposure of windfarm simulated infrasound at 93dB pK (test exposure) will be generated by specially manufactured speaker boxes which will be placed in each of the participants’ bedrooms and will operate continuously for the duration of the study. Microphones continuously monitor the presence and lev
Participants will be randomised to one of two groups. One group exposed to one month of continuous infrasound speaker exposure and the other group exposed to sham (no sound) speaker exposure. The key exposure of windfarm simulated infrasound at 93dB pK (test exposure) will be generated by specially manufactured speaker boxes which will be placed in each of the participants’ bedrooms and will operate continuously for the duration of the study. Microphones continuously monitor the presence and level of infrasound in the bedroom for the duration of the study.
Sponsors
Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Aged 18 or above 2. Noise sensitive individuals -defined as Weinstein’s Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNS) Score >58 (which was the median score in a reported study) 3. Normal hearing based on phone questionnaire 4. Regular sleep of minimum 5.5 hours / 24 hours for 7 days as demonstrated by 1 week of actigraphy 5. Fluent in English, to be able to answer computerised questionnaires and undergo neurocognitive assessments in English
Exclusion criteria
1. Rotating shift worker 2. Planning to be away from home during the study period 3. Major psychiatric disorders 4. Use of any hypnotic medications or other medications that interfere with sleep within the last month 5. Anyone in the household pregnant or breastfeeding or planning to during the study period 6. Children younger than 5 years of age living or regularly spending time in the home.
Outcome results
None listed