Hearing Testing

Question 1

Weber’s and Rinne’s tests

Answer 1

Weber same in both ears:

• Rinne: air>bone=normal/bilateral sensorineural loss
• Rinne: bone>air=bilateral conductive hearing loss

Weber lateralised:

• Rinne in lateralised ear: bone>air= conductive loss in lateralised ear
• Rinne in lateralised ear: air>bone=sensorineural loss in other ear

Question 2

Audiometry tests (3)

Answer 2

Pure tone audiometry

speech audiometry

behavioural tests for children

Question 3

Method of pure tone audiometry

Answer 3

patient has headphones, and transducer on mastoids which play noise at different sound lvls and frequencies

press button when they can hear sound

quantifies bone and air conduction which is mapped on audiogram

other info included:

• uni/bilateral
• degree of hearing loss
• shape of audiometry: flat, sloping, reverse-sloping and cookie-bite.

Question 4

Features of speech audiometry (2)

Answer 4

tests speech discrimination by asking patient’s to repeat words

good for determining if hearing aids needed.

Question 5

Features of behavioural hearing tests (4)

Answer 5

observation
distraction testing
visual re-enforcement audiometry
play audiometry

Question 6

Objective hearing tests (5)

Answer 6

tympanometry

otoacoustic emissions

electrochelography

auditory brainstem response

stapedal reflex

Question 7

Tympanometry method (4)

Answer 7

measures middle ear function

introduces probe into auditory meatus

measures proportion of acoustic signal reflected back at varying pressures and generates compliance graph

fluid in middle ear flattens graph

Question 8

Otoacoustic emissions method (3)

Answer 8

good for screening hearing at birth

tests outer hair cell function which is proportional to cochlear function

detects tiny noises generated by the ear itself

Question 9

Electrocleography test

Answer 9

tests cochlear function and VIIth nerve function

Question 10

Auditory brainstem response test (2)

Answer 10

tests retrocochlear function

good for screening at birth esp. if otoacoustic emission test is equivocal

Question 11

Stapedal reflex test

Answer 11

tests auditory nerves and part of brainstem function