Suprathreshold Bekesy excursion widths in normal and sensorineural impaired listeners

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neuroscience
• Hearing Science

Background:

• Bekesy audiometry is a standard audiological test.
• Understanding auditory processing differences in sensorineural hearing loss is crucial.
• Differentiating continuous (C) and interrupted (I) tones provides insights into auditory function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare excursion widths between normal-hearing and sensorineural adults using sweep-frequency Bekesy audiometry.
• To investigate the effect of continuous versus interrupted tones on excursion width.
• To identify potential clinical markers for site-of-lesion testing in sensorineural hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• Sweep-frequency Bekesy audiometry was performed on 20 normal-hearing and 15 sensorineural adults.
• Tests were conducted at threshold, most comfortable loudness (MCL), and uncomfortable loudness levels (UCL).
• Excursion width was measured in 1-dB steps using both continuous and interrupted tones.

Main Results:

• Normal-hearing individuals showed no difference in excursion width between continuous and interrupted tones.
• Sensorineural participants exhibited significantly smaller excursion widths for continuous tones at 3, 4, and 6 kHz at suprathreshold levels.
• A criterion of 5 dB or less excursion width for continuous tones at MCL was observed in 75% of sensorineural participants.

Conclusions:

• Continuous tones in sweep-frequency Bekesy audiometry reveal differences in auditory processing in sensorineural hearing loss.
• The 5 dB excursion width criterion at MCL may serve as a valuable clinical indicator for site-of-lesion testing.
• Further research is recommended to validate this finding for clinical audiological practice.