Clinical evaluation of three different loudness scaling protocols

Loudness scaling has recently attracted much attention as a valuable clinical tool for acquiring reliable knowledge about loudness perception. This information can be used for diagnostic and rehabilitative purposes. In this study a loudness scaling module implemented in a new PC-based audiological test system was comprehensively tested. The system has proven to be a reliable and useful tool in a clinical environment. The described 'Default' loudness scaling protocol seems to represent an appropriate set of parameters. A comparison between this protocol and two other protocols available for clinical use indicates that the 'Default' protocol presents the same consistency of subject response as the 'IHAFF' protocol, and a better consistency than the 'LGOB' protocol. Regarding time consumption, the 'Default' protocol is superior to the 'IHAFF' protocol and comparable to the 'LGOB' protocol.