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Sound Intensity Level

Sound Intensity Level

Humans perceive sound by hearing. The human ear helps sound waves reach the brain, which then interprets the waves and creates the perception of hearing. The loudness of the environment in which a person is located determines whether they can distinguish between different sound sources.
The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and...

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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

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

Air-conduction and bone-conduction reference threshold levels-A multicenter studya).

Robert H Margolis^1,2, Victoria Sanchez³, Lisa L Hunter⁴

¹Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, Tempe, Arizona 85004, USA.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

|November 22, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Standard reference thresholds for audiometers need revision. New measurements show air-bone gaps in normal hearing and hearing loss listeners, suggesting corrections are needed to prevent unnecessary interventions.

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Area of Science:

Audiology
Hearing Science
Medical Instrumentation

Background:

Standard reference thresholds are crucial for accurate hearing assessments.
Previous audiometer standards may not fully account for real-world hearing variations.
Understanding air-conduction and bone-conduction thresholds is key to diagnosing hearing loss.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate current standard reference thresholds for audiometers.
To recommend revisions to audiometer standards based on new threshold measurements.
To investigate the occurrence and causes of air-bone gaps in normal hearing and sensorineural hearing loss listeners.

Main Methods:

Measured air-conduction (AC) and bone-conduction (BC) hearing thresholds in participants with normal hearing (NH) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
Selected NH participants (n=53) aged 18-25 years with normal hearing and no otologic disease.
Selected SNHL participants (n=49) with confirmed hearing loss and no otologic disease.

Main Results:

AC thresholds for NH listeners averaged 3.7 dB HL, deviating from the ideal 0 dB HL.
Air-bone gaps (ABGs) were observed in NH and SNHL listeners above 2000 Hz, and in SNHL listeners at 250 Hz.
False ABGs, potentially caused by noise, increase with hearing loss magnitude and risk unnecessary medical interventions.

Conclusions:

Current standard reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels require corrections.
Revised reference threshold levels should ensure AC thresholds for young NH listeners average 0 dB HL.
Revised standards should ensure ABGs average 0 dB for listeners with normal middle-ear function, preventing misdiagnosis.