Physiological Effects of Noise, 1970 Based upon papers presented at an international symposium on the Extra-Auditory Physiological Effects of Audible Sound, held in Boston, Massachusetts, December 28–30, 1969, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advanc

The remarkable symposium arranged by Bruce L. Welch and Annemarie S. Welch for the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, Massachusetts at the end of the year 1969 was devoted to the physiological effects of audible sound. Dr. Welch and his wife were able to bring together a distinguished group of scientists from all parts of the world. It was very remarkable to be able to discuss the physiological aspects of noise with representative scientists from Israel, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Australia, Canada and Argentina. Dr. and Mrs. Welch ran the meeting in a delightful manner and continued to maintain interest and enthusiasm. Now the results of the conference are available. It is to be hoped that this volume will find wide interest and attention. We must differentiate noise from sound. Noise is unpleasant, unwanted or intolerable sound. On the other hand, even ordinary sound may at times be unpleasant, simply because we are not con­ ditioned to it. The general impression that one gets from reading the various reports on the physiological effects of noise is bad. It's a pollutant that we can each individually reduce, and maybe we can have a great enough effect socially so that we can significantly lower the noise levels which may result in considerable harm to us. It is interesting that noise as a pollutant has only recently attracted attention.

Introduction: Noise in Our Overpolluted Environment.- Adaptation.- Environmental Noise, “Adaptation” and Pathological Change.- Resistance to Disease.- Audiogenic Stress and Susceptibility to Infection.- Endocrine and Metabolic Function.- Effects of Sound on Endocrine Function and Electrolyte Excretion.- Endocrine and Metabolic Effects of Noise in Normal, Hypertensive and Psychotic Subjects.- Cardiovascular.- Noise, Hearing and Cardiovascular Function.- Relation Between Temporary Threshold Shift and Peripheral Circulatory Effects of Sound.- Cardiovascular and Biochemical Effects of Chronic Intermittent Neurogenic Stimulation.- Cardiovascular and Teratogenic Effects of Chronic Intermittent Noise Stress.- Reproductive.- Effect of Noise During Pregnancy Upon Foetal Viability and Development.- Audiogenic Stimulation and Reproductive Function.- Effect of Noise During Pregnancy Upon Foetal and Subsequent Adult Behavior.- Neurological.- Extra-Auditory Effects of Sound on the Special Senses.- Human Studies of Epileptic Seizures Induced by Sound and Their Conditioned Extinction.- The Functional State of the Brain During Sonic Stimulation.- Acoustic Priming of Audiogenic Seizures in Mice.- Genetic and Temporal Characteristics of Audiogenic Seizures in Mice.- Influence of Age, Auditory Conditioning, and Environmental Noise on Sound-Induced Seizures and Seizure Threshold in Mice.- Biochemical and Pharmacological.- Psychopharmacology of the Response to Noise, With Special Reference to Audiogenic Seizure in Mice.- Neurochemical Factors in Auditory Stimulation and Development of Susceptibility to Audiogenic Seizures.- Sleep.- Effects of Noise During Sleep.- Auditory Stimulation, Sleep Loss on the EEG Stages of Sleep.- Studies of the Effects of Sonic Booms from Supersonic Aircraft.- Awakening Effects of Simulated Sonic Booms and Subsonic Aircraft Noise.- Effects of Noise on the Physiology and Behavior of Farm-Raised Animals.- Effect of Sonic Booms on the Hatchability of Chicken Eggs and Other Studies of Aircraft-Generated Noise Effects on Animals.- Man and Sonic Boom: Environmental Change.- Appendix: Current Sonic Boom Research in France.- Summary.- Summary of the Symposium.- Appendix: Supplementary References.- Author Index.