Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2026
14:05
Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
[Sonar System- digital sounds of instruments for behavior hearing tests with infants]
Helenice Yemi Nakamura1, María Cecília Marconi Pinheiro Lima, Vanda Maria Gimenes Gonçalves
1Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas. nakamur@fcm.unicamp.br
Pro-Fono : Revista De Atualizacao Cientifica
|April 22, 2006
Summary
The Sonar System offers precise, controlled behavioral hearing assessments for infants aged 1-6 months. This digital tool provides standardized sounds at specific frequencies, improving diagnostic accuracy for infant hearing development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Infant Hearing Screening
- Auditory Development
Context:
- Traditional behavioral hearing assessments for infants lack control over sound frequency and loudness.
- The Sonar System provides a novel method for standardized auditory testing in infants.
- This system allows examiners to precisely control sound parameters, minimizing examiner interference.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the Sonar System (digital band) for monitoring hearing development in full-term infants.
- The study aimed to assess infants from one to six months of age.
- To determine the system's utility in providing precise and methodologically controlled auditory assessments.
Summary:
- Monthly evaluations of approximately 30 infants were conducted using standardized sound recordings (clapper, ganzá, coco, drum) at specific frequencies (3000, 1500, 700, 500 Hz).
- All infants also underwent evoked otoacoustic emissions screening.
- Statistical analysis showed significant auditory responses across all tested frequencies, with significant differences noted in the second trimester of infancy.
Impact:
- The Sonar System is recommended for behavioral hearing assessment in infants aged 1-6 months.
- This new technique facilitates accurate assessment, diagnosis, and intervention for infants and young children.
- Expansion of the Sonar System to diverse populations and contexts is encouraged to advance infant hearing healthcare.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Hearing
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
01:01Perception of Sound Waves
The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
01:06Echo
The human ear cannot distinguish between two sources of sound if they happen to reach within a specific time interval, typically 0.1 seconds apart. More than this, and they are perceived as separate sources.
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case, then the...
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case, then the...
01:17Auditory Perception
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...