Automatic audiometry using auditory steady-state response and sequential test strategy applied to volunteers with...

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional audiometry can be time-consuming and requires skilled personnel.
• Auditory Steady-State Response (ASSR) is an objective measure of hearing thresholds.
• Automating audiometric procedures can improve efficiency and accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel, fully automatic audiometry procedure.
• To utilize multifrequency Auditory Steady-State Response (ASSR) for automated threshold determination.
• To assess the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed automatic audiometry method.

Main Methods:

• Real-time detection of multifrequency ASSR using a sequential test strategy.
• Independent adjustment of stimulus intensity for each frequency.
• Determination of ASSR audiometric thresholds in 18 normal-hearing adults at 80 Hz modulation frequencies.
• Evaluation of exam time and difference between ASSR and pure-tone behavioural thresholds.

Main Results:

• The automatic audiometry procedure reduced the number of intensity levels by up to 58% compared to conventional methods.
• The average difference between automatic ASSR thresholds and pure-tone behavioural thresholds was approximately 19 dB.
• The proposed method achieved results comparable to those reported in similar studies.

Conclusions:

• The developed audiometric procedure is fully automatic, eliminating the need for human supervision.
• This automated approach significantly reduces the overall examination time for hearing assessments.
• The method provides a reliable and efficient alternative for determining auditory thresholds.