Extended high-frequency audiometry in healthy adults with different age groups
Mingming Wang1, Yu Ai2, Yuechen Han1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Summary
Extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing tests reveal age-related hearing decline in healthy adults. EHF thresholds worsen with age and higher frequencies, impacting the upper limit of hearing sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Gerontology
- Otorhinolaryngology
Background:
- Extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry (above 8 kHz) offers greater sensitivity for early auditory damage detection compared to conventional tests.
- Limited data exists on age-specific EHF hearing thresholds in healthy individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-dependent hearing thresholds at EHF (9-20 kHz) in a healthy population.
- To establish normative EHF hearing data across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- 162 healthy participants (21-70 years) with normal conventional audiograms were grouped by age.
- Conventional pure tone audiometry (0.25-8 kHz air, 0.25-4 kHz bone conduction) was performed.
- EHF audiometry (9-20 kHz air conduction) was conducted.
Main Results:
- Hearing decline was evident above 4 kHz due to aging.
- EHF hearing thresholds deteriorated with age, particularly in older groups (51-70 years).
- Sensitivity decreased with increasing frequency and age; upper hearing limits reduced significantly in older adults.
Conclusions:
- EHF audiometry is more sensitive than conventional tests for detecting hearing changes.
- Aging significantly impacts EHF hearing ability, causing thresholds to worsen with age and frequency.
- The study provides crucial age-specific EHF hearing threshold data for healthy individuals.
