Pure-Tone Octave Masking in Listeners with Sensorineural Hearing Loss

1974 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Nelson ◽  
Robert C. Bilger

Pure-tone octave masking was investigated in 14 listeners with sensorineural hearing loss to examine the hypothesis that the sensorineural ear introduces abnormal harmonic distortion. Thresholds for a test signal at f 2 , masked by a masking signal at f 1 , (where f 2 = 2f 1 ) were obtained as a function of the level of the f 1 masker for four different f 1 frequencies (250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) and two different phase relations between the f 1 and f 2 signals (90° and 270°). Analysis of the data in terms of the absolute level of the f 2 test signal at masked threshold vs the absolute level of the f 1 masking signal leads to the conclusion that these pathological ears do not perform differently from normal ears, except along the dimension of hearing loss. That is, their hearing losses do not add significant distortion to the acoustic signal. Analysis of the data in terms of the sensation level of the f 2 test signal at masked threshold leads to the specious conclusion that the sensorineural ear introduces abnormal distortion.

2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (11) ◽  
pp. 1039-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Suzuki ◽  
Y Takanashi ◽  
A Koyama ◽  
Y Katori

AbstractObjectivesSodium bromate is a strong oxidant, and bromate intoxication can cause irreversible severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. This paper reports the first case in the English literature of bromate-induced hearing loss with hearing recovery measured by formal audiological assessment.Case reportA 72-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with complaints of profound hearing loss, nausea, diarrhoea and anuria after bromate ingestion in a suicide attempt. On admission, pure tone audiometry and auditory brainstem responses showed profound bilateral deafness. Under the diagnosis of bromate-induced acute renal failure and sensorineural hearing loss, continuous haemodiafiltration was performed. When dialysis was discontinued, pure tone audiometry and auditory brainstem responses showed partial threshold recovery from profound deafness.ConclusionSevere-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss is a common symptom of bromate intoxication. Bromate-induced hearing loss may be partially treated, and early application of continuous haemodiafiltration might be useful as a treatment for this intractable condition.


2008 ◽  
Vol 139 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. P57-P57
Author(s):  
Drew M Horlbeck ◽  
Herman A Jenkins ◽  
Ben J Balough ◽  
Michael E Hoffer

Objective The efficacy of the Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device (MET) was assessed in adult patients with bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Methods Surgical insertion of this totally implanted system was identical to the Phase I study. A repeated-measures within-subjects design assessed aided sound field thresholds and speech performances with the subject's own, appropriately fit, walk-in hearing aid(s) and the Otologics Fully Implantable Hearing Device. Results Six- and 12-month Phase II data will be presented. Ten patients were implanted and activated as part Phase II clinical trial. Three patients were lost to long term follow-up due to two coil failures and one ossicular abnormality preventing proper device placement. No significant differences between preoperative (AC = 59 dB, BC = 55 dB) and postoperative (AC = 61 dB, BC = 54 dB) unaided pure tone averages were noted (p < 0.05). Pure tone average implant aided thresholds (41 dB) were equivalent to that of walk-in-aided (37 dB) condition with no significant difference (p < 0.05) between patients’ walk-in-aided individual frequency thresholds and implant-aided thresholds. Word recognition scores and hearing in noise scores were similar between the walk-in-aided and for the implant-aided condition. Patient benefit scales will be presented at all end points. Conclusions Results of the Otologics MET Fully Implantable Hearing Device Phase II trial provide evidence that this fully implantable device is a viable alternative to currently available hearing aids in patients with sensorineural hearing loss.


Author(s):  
Sheila Uliel

The suprathreshold acoustic reflex responses of forty two ears affected by sensorineural hearing loss of cochlear origin and fifty-eight ears demonstrating normal hearing, were recorded by means of an electro-acoustic impedance meter and attached X-Y recorder. The recordings were done in ascending and descending fashion,  at successively increasing and decreasing 5dB intensity levels from 90-120-90 dB HL respectively, for the individual pure-tone frequencies of 500, 1 000, 2 000 and 4 000 Hz. The contralateral mode of measurement was employed. Analysis of  these recordings indicated that the acoustic reflex  responses could be differentiated into five  characteristic patterns of  growth, which could be depicted upon a continuum of peaked, peaked-rounded, rounded, rounded-flat,  and flat  shapes. The peaked and peaked-rounded patterns were found  to predominate at all four pure-tone frequencies  in the normal ears, while the rounded-fiat  and flat  patterns were found  to predominate only at the higher pure-tone frequencies of 2 000 and 4 000 Hz in the ears affected  by sensorineural hearing loss. This latter relationship was also able to be applied to two disorders of  the loudness functio— loudness recruitment and hyperacusis. It was concluded that the flattened  acoustic reflex  patterns at the higher pure-tone frequencies  constituted a potential diagnostic cue related to the differential  diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss, and to disorders of  the loudness function.


10.2196/23047 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e23047
Author(s):  
Heng-Yu Haley Lin ◽  
Yuan-Chia Chu ◽  
Ying-Hui Lai ◽  
Hsiu-Lien Cheng ◽  
Feipei Lai ◽  
...  

Background Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an otologic emergency that warrants urgent management. Pure-tone audiometry remains the gold standard for definitively diagnosing SSNHL. However, in clinical settings such as primary care practices and urgent care facilities, conventional pure-tone audiometry is often unavailable. Objective This study aimed to determine the correlation between hearing outcomes measured by conventional pure-tone audiometry and those measured by the proposed smartphone-based Ear Scale app and determine the diagnostic validity of the hearing scale differences between the two ears as obtained by the Ear Scale app for SSNHL. Methods This cross-sectional study included a cohort of 88 participants with possible SSNHL who were referred to an otolaryngology clinic or emergency department at a tertiary medical center in Taipei, Taiwan, between January 2018 and June 2019. All participants underwent hearing assessments with conventional pure-tone audiometry and the proposed smartphone-based Ear Scale app consecutively. The gold standard for diagnosing SSNHL was defined as the pure-tone average (PTA) difference between the two ears being ≥30 dB HL. The hearing results measured by the Ear Scale app were presented as 20 stratified hearing scales. The hearing scale difference between the two ears was estimated to detect SSNHL. Results The study sample comprised 88 adults with a mean age of 46 years, and 50% (44/88) were females. PTA measured by conventional pure-tone audiometry was strongly correlated with the hearing scale assessed by the Ear Scale app, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of .88 (95% CI .82-.92). The sensitivity of the 5–hearing scale difference (25 dB HL difference) between the impaired ear and the contralateral ear in diagnosing SSNHL was 95.5% (95% CI 87.5%-99.1%), with a specificity of 66.7% (95% CI 43.0%-85.4%). Conclusions Our findings suggest that the proposed smartphone-based Ear Scale app can be useful in the evaluation of SSNHL in clinical settings where conventional pure-tone audiometry is not available.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. e950-e955
Author(s):  
Chi Kyou Lee ◽  
Jong Bin Lee ◽  
Kye Hoon Park ◽  
Ho Yun Lee ◽  
Mi-Jin Choi ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y-H Lin ◽  
P-R Chen ◽  
C-J Hsu ◽  
H-P Wu

AbstractObjective:For various medico-legal and financial reasons, some patients may clinically demonstrate an exaggerated hearing loss that varies in degree, nature and laterality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether multi-channel auditory steady-state response measurement can be used as an objective test of auditory thresholds in adults with sensorineural hearing loss.Study design and setting:This was a prospective, comparative, experimental research design study conducted in an academic medical centre. From January to June 2007, 142 subjects (284 ears) with varying degrees of sensorineural hearing loss were included. Four commonly used frequencies (500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz) were evaluated. Both pure tone thresholds and multi-channel auditory steady-state response thresholds were obtained for each ear in all subjects. The correlation of auditory steady-state response thresholds and pure tone thresholds was assessed. The time taken for multi-channel auditory steady-state response testing was also recorded.Results:Results for multi-channel auditory steady-state response thresholds and pure tone thresholds were compared for each test frequency. A difference of less than 15 dB was found in 71 per cent of patients, while a difference of less than 20 dB was found in 83 per cent. Correlation between auditory steady-state response thresholds and pure tone thresholds, expressed as the correlation coefficient (r), was 0.89, 0.95, 0.96 and 0.97 at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz, respectively. The strength of the relationship between auditory steady-state response thresholds and pure tone thresholds increased with increasing frequency and increasing degree of hearing loss. The recorded auditory steady-state response thresholds were used to calculate regression lines predicting pure tone threshold results. The mean estimated pure tone thresholds calculated from these regression lines were all within 10 dB of the actual recorded pure tone thresholds. The average multi-channel auditory steady-state response test duration was 42 minutes per patient.Conclusion:Measurement of multi-channel auditory steady-state response could be a powerful, convenient electro-physiological examination with which to objectively certify clinical hearing impairment in adults.


1998 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 549-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sid P. Bacon ◽  
Jane M. Opie ◽  
Danielle Y. Montoya

Speech recognition was measured in three groups of listeners: those with sensorineural hearing loss of (presumably) cochlear origin (HL), those with normal hearing (NH), and those with normal hearing who listened in the presence of a spectrally shaped noise that elevated their pure-tone thresholds to match those of individual listeners in the HL group (NM). Performance was measured in four backgrounds that differed only in their temporal envelope: steady-state (SS) speech-shaped noise, speech-shaped noise modulated by the envelope of multi-talker babble (MT), speech-shaped noise modulated by the envelope of single-talker speech (ST), and speech-shaped noise modulated by a 10-Hz square wave (SQ). Threshold signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were typically best in the ST and especially the SQ conditions, indicating a masking release in those modulated backgrounds. SNRs in the SS and MT conditions were essentially identical to one another. The masking release was largest in the listeners in the NH group, and it tended to decrease as hearing loss increased. In 5 of the 11 listeners in the HL group, the masking release was nearly identical to that obtained in the NM group matched to those listeners; in the other 6 listeners, the release was smaller than that in the NM group. The reduced masking release was simulated best in those HL listeners for whom the masking release was relatively large. These results suggest that reduced masking release for speech in listeners with sensorineural hearing loss can only sometimes be accounted for entirely by reduced audibility.


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