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Audiology Terminology > Terminology 1 > Flashcards

Terminology 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Acoustic Meatus

A

Another name for the external ear canal through which sound travels from the concha of the pinna to the eardrum.

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2
Q

Acoustic Nerve

A

The vestibulocochlear nerve or the auditory nerve. The VIIIth cranial nerve which runs from the inner ear to the brainstem and contains fibers carrying both auditory and vestibular information.

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3
Q

Acuity

A

In hearing terms, it refers to the clarity or audibility of sound.

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4
Q

AD

A

Right ear.

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5
Q

Aditus

A

Opening between the pneumaticized mastoid air cells and the middle ear space

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6
Q

Air-Conduction Thresholds

A

The lowest level that an individual can hear a pure tone stimulus presented through headphones or insert earphones. During a hearing test a patient’s air-conduction thresholds are measured at several frequencies associated with the normal pitch range of the human voice and graphed out onto an audiogram.

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7
Q

Amplifier

A

An electronic sound processor located inside of a hearing aid that increases the incoming signal to improve the audibility of the outgoing signal.

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8
Q

Ampulla

A

The enlarged section of the semicircular canal in which the sense organ for head rotation is located.

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9
Q

Anacusis

A

Absence of sound. Deafness.

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10
Q

Antagonistic

A

Pulling in opposite directions. The contraction of the stapedial muscle and tensor tympani are antagonistic.

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11
Q

Antihelix

A

Part of the pinna that is just beyond the concha; it is a rim of cartilage.

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12
Q

Arch of Corti

A

Also called pillars of Corti. Supporting structure located between the inner and outer hair cells within the organ of Corti.

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13
Q

Areal Ratio

A

The relative difference in the size of the tympanic membrane to the stapes footplate. Because of this size difference, sound is concentrated as it reaches the inner ear, and the sound pressure is enhanced by about 27 dB.

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14
Q

AS

A

Left ear.

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15
Q

Assistive Listening Devices (Alds)

A

Non-hearing aid devices used by a hearing-impaired individual to improve communication and the performance of activities in specific environments. ALDs include devices such as infrared and FM personal amplifiers, alerting devices, and closed captioning equipment.

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16
Q

Atresia

A

The absence or closure of the external auditory meatus (ear canal).

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17
Q

Audiogram

A

A chart onto which is graphed the results of a hearing test. The chart has intensity levels listed on one axis and frequencies (pitches) listed on the other axis.

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18
Q

Audiometer

A

The electronic piece of equipment employed by a hearing healthcare professional to assess the hearing thresholds and speech awareness / processing ability of an individual.

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19
Q

Audiometric Evaluation Or Audiometry

A

Another name for a hearing test or hearing evaluation.

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20
Q

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Testing

A

Also know as Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) testing and Auditory Evoked Response testing. A test requiring specialized equipment that measures the electrical activity in the brainstem after the presentation of a signal. The test is utilized in the threshold assessment of hard-to-test individuals and to evaluate the integrity of the brainstem pathways.

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21
Q

Aural Rehabilitation

A

Therapy or training sessions designed to improve communication skills.

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22
Q

Auricle

A

The pinna. The cartilaginous structures of the external ear located peripheral to the skull.

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23
Q

Axon

A

Portion of a neuron than conveys the neural impulse away from the cell body to the terminal button.

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24
Q

Basilar Membrane

A

Membrane inside the cochlea that separates scala media and scala tympani; on this membrane rests the organ of Corti.

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25
Q

Behavioral Audiometry

A

A hearing test that requires some type of visible and voluntary response from the individual being evaluated.

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26
Q

Behind-The-Ear Hearing Aid

A

A style of hearing aid in which the electronic portion of the hearing aid (including battery, microphone, speaker, amplifier, etc.) is located on top of or behind the ear. The electronic portion is connected via a piece of tubing to an earmold, which is in the ear.

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27
Q

Binaural

A

Refers to when sound is presented to both ears (i.e., She wears binaural amplification.).

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28
Q

Binaural Advantages

A

The benefits derived by the average patient, with equal or fairly equal hearing loss, from the use of hearing aids on both sides. Including Binaural Summation and Binaural Squelch.

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29
Q

Binaural Squelch

A

The improved ability to focus on a desired sound in the presence of undesired sounds when you hear it through both ears.

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30
Q

Binaural Summation

A

An increase in intensity of a sound of 3 to 9 dB when hearing the sound through both ears compared to just one.

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31
Q

Blocked Or Inflamed Eustachian Tube

A

Eustachian tube dysfunction. A condition in which the tube that connects the throat and middle ear cavity is not allowed to open and close as it would in a normal ear system for the purpose of pressure equalization. When the eustachian tube becomes blocked or inflamed it will not allow a person to “pop” their ears and can lead to negative pressure, fluid in ear, and/or middle ear infections.

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32
Q

Body Hearing Aid

A

An older style of hearing aid in which the electronic components and batteries are located in a single casing located on the body, away from the ear. The device is connected to the earmold via a wire. Body worn aids are generally used to provide amplification for individuals with profound hearing losses.

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33
Q

Bone-Conduction Thresholds

A

The lowest level that an individual can hear a pure-tone stimulus presented through a vibrator placed on the mastoid bone or forehead. Bone-conduction threshold testing attempts to assess the ability of the sensory and neural auditory systems without the sound passing through the outer and middle ear.

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34
Q

Calibration

A

The regular tuning of an audiometer to set the presentation values at levels consistent with (inter)national standards.

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35
Q

Cartilaginous

A

Comprised of cartilage, a dense but flexible connective tissue.

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36
Q

Central Auditory Processing

A

The awareness of an auditory signal in the central nervous system, that occurs beyond the peripheral auditory system (outer ear, middle ear, and cochlea), and the interpretation / processing of that signal.

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37
Q

Cerebellopontine Angle

A

The area where the VIII nerve enters the brainstem. At this location, the auditory pathway takes a turn (angles) upward. This occurs at the junction of the cerebellum and pons portion of the brainstem, ergo the name.

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38
Q

Cholesteatoma

A

A benign expanding mass which can form in the middle ear cavity. It is made up of skin and cholesterol crystals. The mass can become infected and cause other problems in the middle ear.

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39
Q

Cilia

A

Tiny hairlike projections on a cell. Ciliated cells are found in portions of the middle ear space, the Eustachian tube, and in the cochlea. Cilia are found on both outer and inner hair cells.

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40
Q

Circuit Noise

A

Extraneous sounds present in the output of a hearing aid that are related to the function of the hearing aid’s mechanism, not due to external sounds.

41
Q

Cochlea

A

The snail-shaped portion of the inner ear that contains the hair cells and nerve endings that convert a sound from the mechanical/vibratory movements present in the middle ear into an electrical charge, as the sound travels to the brain for processing.

42
Q

Cochlear Implant

A

An electronic device, a portion of which is surgically implanted into the inner ear, that is designed to provide a sensation of sound to deaf individuals.

43
Q

Cochlear Nucleus

A

Group of nerve cells just medial to the VIII nerve. The first nucleus in the auditory pathway.

44
Q

Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC) Hearing Aid

A

A hearing aid that is designed so that most of the electronics are located in the ear canal. The smallest style of hearing aid currently available.

45
Q

Compression

A

An internal feature present in most current hearing aids that helps to control the intensity of higher volumes. There are many varieties of compression and each one has its advantages and disadvantages, but they all in someway make the hearing aid non-linear.

46
Q

Concha

A

The bowl area of the pinna (auricle) that channels sound from the environment to the ear canal.

47
Q

Condensation

A

Also called compression. The portion of a sound wave where the air molecules are most tightly packed together.

48
Q

Conditioned Play Audiometry

A

A method utilized in the assessment of hearing abilities of pediatric patients. The child is trained to perform a specific enjoyable task whenever a sound is presented.

49
Q

Conductive Hearing Loss

A

A decrease in an individual’s ability to hear a particular sound due to an inefficiency or disruption in the outer ear or middle ear system. A conductive hearing loss is when the sounds are somehow “blocked” as they travel from the pinna to the cochlea.

50
Q

Cone of Light

A

A triangular brightness visible on the lower portion of the tympanic membrane (eardrum) during otoscopy due to a reflection of the light coming out of the otoscope.

51
Q

Congenital Hearing Loss

A

The presence of hearing loss at or before birth.

52
Q

Cookie Bite Audiogram

A

A description of the graph of an individual’s hearing thresholds in which the middle frequencies are noticeably poorer than the low and high frequencies.

53
Q

Cortex

A

Outside portion of the cerebrum, consisting of gray matter (material that is mostly cell bodies, rather than white matter, which is mostly myelinated neurons).

54
Q

CROS Hearing Aid (Contralteral Routing Of Signal)

A

A type of hearing aid designed for individuals with unilateral hearing loss which picks up the sound on the impaired side of the head and delivers it to the normal or near normal hearing ear.

55
Q

Crus

A

Singular (crura is plura), from the Latin word meaning leg, it is a side part of the stapes bone of the middle ear.

56
Q

Cued Sleep

A

Various hand shapes utilized by someone who is speaking to a deaf individual to enhance the speech reading information available.

57
Q

dB HL

A

Decibels hearing level. 0 dB HL is the softest sound that can be heard by the average person with normal hearing. It is not the absence of sound, as persons with better than average hearing will have thresholds lower than 0 dB HL (e.g. –10 dB HL).

58
Q

dB SL

A

Decibels sensation level. The number of decibels above another threshold. See tutorial understanding the acoustic reflex.

59
Q

dB SPL

A

This is the accordion body content. It is typically best to keep this area short and to the point so it isn’t too overwhelming.

60
Q

Decibel

A

A decibel is a unit for expressing the relative loudness of a sound. One-tenth of a bel, the decibel is a designation of a unit of intensity on a logarithmic (non-linear) scale.

61
Q

Decussation

A

Crossing over of nerve fibers from one hemisphere of the brain to the opposite (contralateral) hemisphere. Auditory nerves will decussate at several places in the brainstem.

62
Q

Degree Of Hearing Loss

A

Terms utilized to represent the thresholds of hearing graphed onto an audiogram to help describe the different degrees of hearing impairment expected. One commonly used scale is: mild = 25 to 40 dB, moderate = 41 to 55 dB, moderately-severe = 56 to 70 dB, severe = 71 to 90 dB, and profound = greater than 90 dB.

63
Q

Dendrite

A

Portion of the neuron that connects either to the sensory receptor (i.e. hair cell) or to the terminal button of the neuron that is transmitting information (the neuron that comes “before” in the auditory system).

64
Q

Digital

A

A more current type of hearing aid that digitizes a sound, utilizing an analog-to-digital converter, prior to processing the sound. Sound represented in a digitized format can be manipulated and processed more efficiently.

65
Q

Diplacusis

A

Perceiving a single tone as multiple tones or multiple harmonics.

66
Q

Direct Audio Input

A

A port on a hearing aid that allows a hard-wired input of sound directly from an assistive listening device into the hearing aid’s electronic mechanisms (bypassing the external microphone).

67
Q

Discrimination

A

In hearing terms, it refers to the ability to distinguish between various tonal or speech sounds.

68
Q

Dri-Aid Kit

A

Various products containing drying agents or utilizing heat that are used to lessen the amount of harmful moisture built-up in a hearing aid.

69
Q

DSP

A

Short for digital signal processing.

70
Q

Dynamic Range

A

Refers to the range of volume between the level at which an individual first hears a sound and the level at which that individual perceives the sound to be uncomfortably loud.

71
Q

Ear Canal

A

Ear Canal

72
Q

Eardrum

A

The tympanic membrane. A thin layer of skin that separates the ear canal from the middle ear cavity. The eardrum converts sound waves into vibrations.

73
Q

Eighth Cranial Nerve (CN VIII)

A

The acoustic or auditory nerve which runs from the inner ear to the brainstem which contains fibers that carry auditory and vestibular information.

74
Q

Endolymph

A

Fluid in the section of the cochlea known as scala media, and in the membranous labyrinth of the vestibular system. This fluid is high in potassium and relatively low in sodium.

75
Q

ENG (Electronystagmography)

A

A special series of tests utilized to evaluate the vestibular system during which eye movements are measured electro physically.

76
Q

Entraiment

A

An undesired effect of some anti-feedback circuitry in which the feedback reduction algorithm attempts to eliminate an incoming sound as if the sound is feedback when it truly is not.

77
Q

Equilibrium

A

A body’s ability to maintain physical balance by using vestibular, visual and proprioceptive (sense of touch) input

78
Q

Etiology

A

In hearing terms, the source or cause of a hearing loss.

79
Q

Eustachian tube

A

A small connection between the throat and the middle ear cavity which in the normal human ear system is utilized to equalize the pressure in the middle ear cavity to the pressure in the atmosphere surrounding the body.

80
Q

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

A

When the tube that connects the throat and the middle ear cavity becomes inflamed or blocked. Eustachian tube dysfunction can lead to negative pressure, fluid in the middle ear, and/or middle ear infections.

81
Q

Evoked Potentials

A

Electrical activity in the body measured by electrodes that occurs as a result of a stimulus.

82
Q

Exostosis

A

A bony growth in the ear canal.

83
Q

External Auditory Meatus

A

Another name for the ear canal or the acoustic meatus.

84
Q

External Ear

A

Part of the auditory system comprised of the pinna and external auditory meatus.

85
Q

Feedback

A

The high-pitched whistling sound that can be emitted by a hearing aid when the hearing aid’s microphone picks up its own output, thus re-amplifying itself.

86
Q

Feedback Suppressor Or Cancellor

A

Technology present in some newer hearing aids that is designed to limit the amount of feedback experienced by hearing aid users. Low-end hearing aids lower gain to reduce feedback, while more advanced hearing aids alter the phase of the signal to control feedback.

87
Q

Fistula

A

An abnormal hole or rupture in the window that connects the middle ear cavity and the cochlea, allowing the leakage of inner ear fluid (perilymph) into the middle ear and often resulting in hearing loss and dizziness.

88
Q

Footplate

A

Portion of the stapes bone that is attached to the two crura and that sits in the oval window.

89
Q

Frequency

A

Cycles per second. The number of vibrations occurring during a second, resulting in the perceived “pitch” of a sound.

90
Q

Gain

A

A term used to describe the amount of additional intensity added by a hearing aid or other amplifying device to an incoming signal during the amplification process.

91
Q

Genetic Hearing Loss

A

Congenital hearing loss. Hearing loss that is present at or before birth.

92
Q

Hair Cells

A

Cells present in the cochlea that convert the mechanical energy present in sound vibrations into electrical activity. Hair cells have cilia on one side which are stimulated by movement and on the other side are connected to fibers of the VIIIth cranial nerve, which carries the impulse to the brain.

93
Q

Head Shadow Effect

A

The knowledge that a sound source presented on one side of the head is less intense when measured on the other side of the head, due to the sound having to make its way around the head.

94
Q

Helicotrema

A

The portion at the apex of the cochlea where there is no scala media. The perilymph can flow between scala tympani and scala vestibuli at this location.

95
Q

Helix

A

The curved/raised rim of the external ear (pinna).

96
Q

Hereditary Hearing Loss

A

A hearing loss or a propensity for hearing loss that is transferred via genes from parent to offspring.

97
Q

Hertz (Hz)

A

Cycles per second. A name given to describe the frequency or pitch of a sound.

98
Q

High-Frequency Hearing Loss

A

A hearing impairment which is only present or is significantly more prevalent in the higher pitches.

Audiology Terminology (1 decks)

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