Hearing Loss Assessment and ICF Model

Physiological aspects of hearing, including hearing sensitivity and speech understanding.

Anatomical components involved in hearing, such as the ear structures (cochlea, auditory nerve).

Daily tasks affected by hearing loss.

Impact of hearing loss on social and work participation.

Availability of hearing aids or support services, influencing hearing loss impact.

Coping skills, social support influencing individual's life with hearing loss.

Tuning fork test assessing hearing loss type, lateralizing sound to a better or poorer ear.

Lateralized sound to the poorer ear in conductive hearing loss.

Lateralized sound to the better ear in sensorineural hearing loss.

Air conduction (AC) is greater than bone conduction (BC), indicating normal hearing and sometimes sensorineural hearing loss.

Bone conduction (BC) is greater than air conduction (AC), indicating conductive hearing loss.

Reduction of sound energy passing from one ear to the other.

Abbreviation for pure-tone audiometry.

A measure of the volume of fluid in the middle ear that affects its acoustic impedance.

A measure of how easily the middle ear system moves in response to sound pressure.

The air pressure in the ear canal that results in the maximum compliance of the middle ear.

The frequency at which the middle ear system vibrates most easily.

A tympanogram shape indicating a stiffness-dominated middle ear, common at low frequencies.

A tympanogram shape indicating a middle ear with a close probe tip, often related to eardrum pathology.

A tympanogram shape suggesting that the probe tone frequency is above the middle ear resonance.

A tympanogram shape signifying a mass-dominated middle ear, possibly related to eardrum or ossicle problems.

The series of structures from the outer to the inner ear by which the acoustic reflex is transmitted.

A reflex reaction of the middle ear muscles to loud sound.

A test used to evaluate the functioning of the auditory system.

Earphones used in ABR testing, which lead to a 0.9ms latency increase.

The first wave in ABR, originating from the auditory nerve. Smaller in adults, larger in children.

The prominent wave in ABR, resulting from activity in the inferior colliculus. Smaller in children.

The wave in the ABR, resulting from signals from the cochlear nucleus

Hearing loss due to problems in the external or middle ear. ABR latency changes will occur.

Hearing loss due to problems in the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve. Only slight latency changes in ABR.

Hearing loss due to problems in the auditory nerve pathway beyond the cochlea, showing changes in both latency and morphology. Asymmetric Wave V latency is abnormal.

Typical latency ranges for ABR waves in adults.

Typical latency ranges for ABR waves in children.

Approximate latency of 1.5ms for Wave I in adults (auditory nerve response).

Approximate latency of 5.5ms for Wave V in adults (activity in lateral lemniscus and inferior colliculus).

Headphones present sound with an intensity attenuation (IA) of 40dB.

Ear inserts present sound with an IA of 60dB.

Occurs when the presentation sound's intensity attenuation (IA) differs significantly from the masking sound's IA.

When the non-test ear (NTE) receives significant sound from the test ear (TE) during an audiometric test.

A masking effect where threshold increases by approximately 5dB after masking, more prominent in air conduction (AC) than bone conduction (BC) masking.

A change in bone conduction (BC) thresholds due to headphone use, usually requiring BC threshold re-establishment before masking.

Inability to mask due to significant bilateral conductive hearing loss, often resulting in thresholds fluctuating toward no response.

Uncompensated tympanogram, including ear canal volume (ECV).

Compensated tympanogram, starting at 0, with no ear canal volume (ECV) included.

Assessing middle ear function and sound transmission through the middle ear.

Ear Canal Volume

Normal middle ear function

Reduced peak, usually caused by stiffness

Increased peak in tympanogram caused by decreased stiffness.

Flat tympanogram, often indicative of a middle ear fluid or perforation

Negative peak, often suggesting eustachian tube dysfunction.

Wave V's latency increases (takes longer) with decreasing intensity. Sound intensity of 40 dB nHL takes longer than 60 dB nHL

A brain response to sound that arrives later compared to other responses.

The possibility of the muscle response overlapping with the neural response making the MLR measurement challenging.

Measures electrical potentials within the cochlea to assess cochlear and auditory nerve function.

Measures brain responses to steady, modulated sounds to build an audiogram.

Indicates possible auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) or damage to the auditory nerve.

A sign of potential fluid imbalance, like in Meniere's disease.

Inflammation of the external ear canal, potentially caused by bacterial infection.

A serious, life-threatening condition where Otitis Externa spreads to the temporal bone.

Inflammation of the middle ear.

A rapid-onset middle ear infection, with symptoms like pain, fever, red eardrum.

Fluid buildup in the middle ear, without signs of acute infection.

Persistent middle ear infection with ear discharge; lasting at least 6-12 weeks.

Bony growths in the ear canal, often caused by cold water/cold wind exposure.

Inflammation of the mastoid bone behind the ear.

Hole in eardrum, due to trauma, infection or pressure changes.

Scarring of the eardrum.

Stiffening of the middle ear ossicles.