Military Service and Hearing Health
The Noise Outcomes in Service members Epidemiology (NOISE) study is an ongoing longitudinal, epidemiologic study on hearing health, including hearing loss and tinnitus, in military Service members and Veterans.
The NOISE study aims to inform efforts to advance hearing health in those who have served in the military. The study was designed by a team of audiologists, epidemiologists, and statisticians in response to a Congressional call for research on lifetime effects of ototoxic exposures in Service members and Veterans.
The study is a joint effort between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. Funding sources include Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (awarded 2013), the VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service (2021), and the Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program (awarded 2017 & 2022).
Study Sites
Main site: VA RR&D National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) (Portland, Oregon)
DoD Hearing Center of Excellence (HCE) (San Antonio, Texas)
San Diego, CA: Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMSD), Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton (NHCP), Naval Base San Diego, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego
The NOISE study has been collecting data since 2014 and has enrolled over 1000 participants.
Who is eligible to enroll:
- All current U.S. Military Service Members
- All U.S. Military Veterans within approximately 2.5 years of their separation from military service
Study data:
- Extensive audiological testing at baseline and 5-year intervals
- Annual questionnaires on military and non-military exposures (including noise, ototoxicants, and blasts), demographics, physical and mental health, self-reported hearing health, overall functioning, and other key variables
- Administrative data from VA and DoD records
To date, the NOISE Study has produced 19 peer-reviewed publications.
April 2023
Study Enrollment Begins in San Diego!
The NOISE Study team is excited to announce that study enrollment and data collection has officially begun in San Diego, CA across multiple military installations.
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October 2022
Congratulations to our new PIs
Dr. Kathleen Carlson is the new Principal Investigator and Dr. Kelly Reavis is the new Co-Principal Investigator of the NOISE Study, following the retirement of Dr. James Henry.
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September 2022
NOISE Study Receives MHSRS Award
The NOISE Study has received a 2022 Military Health Service Research Symposium (MHSRS) award for Outstanding Research Accomplishment (Team).
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Fall 2022
New NOISE Study Site in Southern California
The NOISE Study team is excited to announce the addition of a third NOISE study site, which will be located in the San Diego area.
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NOISE Study at a Glance
