Evaluation of sensorineural hearing loss

Advances in both the medical/surgical and nonmedical treatment of sensorineural hearing loss have drastically increased the need for more precise evaluation of inner ear disorders and their differentiation from retrocochlear sites of lesion. Consider, for example, the tremendous strides made in the application of cochlear implants to patients with severe to profound hearing loss who are unable to derive sufficient or adequate benefit from hearing aids. Equally impressive are the improvements made recently in the area of assistive listening technology. The newest hearing aid devices are smaller in addition to being capable of greater fidelity, and contain digital circuitry making them more flexible and responsive to a patient's auditory needs. A challenge for hearing healthcare professionals today is to successfully address the needs of the millions of hearing impaired individuals in the United States who are currently not adequately served, either medically or nonmedically, for their hearing problem.