[Visual reinforcement audiometry with different sound stimuli in children]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Audiology
• Auditory Perception in Children
• Hearing Assessment Techniques

Background:

• Accurate hearing evaluation is crucial for early intervention in children.
• Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) is a common technique for pediatric hearing testing.
• Understanding Minimum Response Levels (MRL) aids in diagnosing hearing impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate Minimum Response Levels (MRL) using Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) in a sound field.
• To compare MRLs obtained with two different auditory stimuli in children.
• To investigate the influence of sound presentation side, gender, age, and stimulus type on MRLs.

Main Methods:

• VRA was conducted in a sound field using pure tone frequency modulation (warble tones) and the Sonar System.
• Stimuli were presented at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz with decreasing intensity levels (80-20 dBNA).
• A stimulus-response-reinforcement conditioning paradigm was employed with an illuminated clown as visual reinforcement.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in MRLs was found based on the side of sound presentation.
• Normal-hearing males exhibited lower MRLs with the Sonar System at 500 Hz and 2000 Hz.
• MRLs decreased with increasing age for both stimuli in normal-hearing children, with the Sonar System showing better results in children under two years old.

Conclusions:

• Minimum Response Levels (MRL) decrease with age, irrespective of the auditory stimulus used.
• The Sonar System yields lower MRLs compared to traditional warble tones, particularly in younger children.
• No significant differences in MRLs were observed across the studied variables for children with hearing loss.