Prior to this investigation, there appeared to be no published research data available on tympanometric configurations obtained from an older adult population. This study was designed to examine tympanograms obtained from an otologically normal, elderly population. Forty individuals, ranging in age from 59 to 83 years, participated in this study. All had a negative history of middle ear pathology and had normal tympanic membranes as determined by otologic examination. From the eighty ears tested, fifty were used in this survey. Conductance and susceptance at 220 and 660 Hz were obtained at each ear and ranges for admittance were computed from these components. Additionally, acoustic reflex thresholds were obtained from this population. The results obtained indicate that the values for the measures of conductance and susceptance are comparable to those from young adult groups. The reflex thresholds are slightly higher in the older group because their hearing thresholds are not as acute as those found in younger populations. Finally a larger percentage of the older population than might be expected was found to have evidence of healed perforations which were not discovered during otoscopic examination. The present investigation demonstrated that additional normative data are neededin order that the otoadmittance meter be fully utilized with older adult populations.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the CID Everyday sentences, with competing cafeteria noise, as a measure of the real life receptive communication difficulty experienced by subjects with hearing loss limited to frequencies above 2000 Hz. In order to establish normative data the speech discrimination test w~s given to 38 normal hearing subjects (aged 19-46). Second, the discrimination test was given to 12 hearing impaired subjects (29-64), who also completed a self-assessment questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA). The results were analyzed to determine: (a) if there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the normal hearing and the hearing impaired subjects, and (b) if there was a significant correlation between the hearing impaired subjects' scores on the discrimination test and those obtained on the HHIA. The investigation revealed that a statistically significant difference (p=0.04) existed between the mean scores of the two subject groups on the discrimination test. The hearing impaired subjects averaged about 9% below the normal hearing subjects. Although there was a weak to moderate correlation between the hearing impaired subjects' scores on the discrimination test and their scores on the HHIA, it was not statistically significant. It was concluded that, with further research, the CID Everyday sentences, with competing cafeteria noise, have potential merit as a speech discrimination procedure to quantify the hearing handicap produced by a high frequency hearing loss.

This thesis has outlined a reliable and practical method for auditory screening in the newborn. Validation of the assumption that the Denver test kit bell could be used as a standardized stimulus was accomplished by electronic analysis. The experimental stimulus, then, was matched against a standardized commercial device for auditory screening with the hypothesis that there would be no differences in response patterns elicited by the two instruments. Newborns in a hospital nursery served as subjects.No significant differences existed between the two groups with respect to the number judged as hearing infants. However, there was a significant difference between the two groups with respect to the number judged as nonhearing infants.In addition, a discussion is presented to illustrate the meaning of the findings, the usefulness of this study, and a method for continuing the auditory evaluation of newborns.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

Thesis (D. Phil. Communication Pathology)--Universiteit van Pretoria, 2002. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Science in Audiology

published_or_final_version / toc / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Science in Audiology

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Speech and Hearing Sciences / Master / Master of Science in Audiology

No description available.

The frequency following potential (FFP) is an auditory evoked response which crudely replicates the waveform of the stimulus. The origins of this far-field potential have been localized to the cochlea and specific auditory nuclei. The initiation site of the FFP along the cochlear partition has been thought to be dependent upon stimulus sound pressure level. Low stimulus levels elicit FFP from the apical turn of the cochlea, while moderate and high stimulus levels may elicit FFP from a large segment of the partition, including the basal turn. Simultaneous masking studies have contributed to the knowledge of this potential, but results from these studies may be confounded by interference from bioelectric potentials generated by distortion products from the masking noise. This investigation used non-simultaneous masking tones set at the subject's pulsation threshold level (PTL). This psychophysical method provides a representation of the frequency-resolving properties of the auditory periphery in a repeated gap masking paradigm. Patterns of the relative masking effect of each masking tone were plotted and compared for several probe levels and in the presence or absence of a continuous, high-pass masking noise. Tuning patterns derived in high-pass making noise effectively represented apical turn FFP. Those patterns without masking noise represented whole-cochlea FFP. The results of this study demonstrarted tuning patterns that reflected diminished FFP amplitudes in the primary 500 Hz region as well as in an extended secondary range of 800 to 2000 Hz, depending on the stimulus-masking parameters. Tuning patterns in high-pass masking noise were consistently flatter in the primary and secondary regions than for the tuning patterns without masking noise. The secondary regions of the tuning patterns extended above 2000 Hz for the patterns obtained without high-pass masking. Tuning patterns were consistently broader for the high stimulus level than for the moderate stimulus level. The multiple cochlear initiation sites for the FFP preclude its use as an audiological tool for the assessment of low-frequency hearing. However, the potential is suggested as a method to assess whole-cochlear response for the difficult-to-test patients with suspected profound hearing loss.

No description available.