audstudent.com Tutorial on Understanding Audiograms

Foundations

To understand audiograms you need to know:

The basic parts of the ear
The definitions of loss types:

conductive
sensorineural
cochlear
retrocochlear
mixed

What air- and bone-conduction testing do, and how this relates to these types of losses
The severity of loss scales

This first module will check your understanding of these points. Unless specifically noted, in this first section we are discussing the normal ear.

Label the parts of the ear

The “spray paint” appearance is meant to illustrate …

Air-conduction testing is completed using
1. either earphones or soundfield speakers
2. a bone vibrator (bone oscillator)

Air-conduction testing sends sound

     a) through the outer ear, through the middle ear,
          to the inner ear where it becomes a nerve impulse
     b) directly to the middle ear, where it then travels
          to the inner ear and becomes a nerve impulse
     c) directly to the inner ear, where it then becomes
          a nerve impulse
     d) directly to the nerve of hearing

Bone-conduction testing is completed using
1. Either earphones or sound field speakers
2. A bone vibrator (bone oscillator)

Bone-conduction testing sends sound

     a) through the outer ear, through the middle ear,
          to the inner ear where it becomes a nerve impulse
     b) directly to the middle ear, where it then travels to
          the inner ear and becomes a nerve impulse
     c) directly to the inner ear, where it then becomes a
          nerve impulse
     d) directly to the nerve of hearing

The definition of a conductive loss is one that:
1. occurs in the outer or middle ear
2. occurs in the cochlea
3. occurs because of damage to the nerves of hearing
4. occurs either because of damage to the cochlea or
nerves of hearing
5. both 1 and 4

The definition of a mixed loss is one that:
1. occurs in the outer or middle ear
2. occurs in the cochlea
3. occurs because of damage to the nerves of hearing
4. occurs either because of damage to the cochlea or
nerves of hearing
5. both 1 and 4

Air conduction tells you:
a) the severity of the loss
b) how much of the loss is conductive
c) how much of the loss is sensorineural
d) how much of the loss is either sensorineural or conductive

Abnormal hearing thresholds that occur when testing via bone-conduction tell you:

a) the severity of the loss
b) how much of the loss is conductive
c) how much of the loss is sensorineural
d) how much of the loss is either sensorineural or conductive

When viewing an audiogram, what do the two axis mean?
Which one is pitch and which one is loudness?
What are the technical terms for pitch and loudness?

What does 0 dB HL mean?

What does a negative number of decibels mean?

What is the range of normal hearing?

Is it different for a child versus an adult?

What are the degrees of hearing loss severity,
and where do they fall on the audiogram?

If the loss is sensorineural , what is the relationship of the air- and bone- conduction thresholds?

a. There is a loss by air conduction, but not by bone conduction.
b. There is a loss by bone conduction, but not by air conduction
c. There is a loss by both air and bone conduction, and the
thresholds are essentially the same by air and by bone conduction.
d. There is a loss by both air and bone conduction, but the
loss by air conduction is worse than the loss by bone conduction

If the loss is conductive , what is the relationship of the
air- and bone- conduction thresholds?

a. There is a loss by air conduction, but not by bone conduction.
b. There is a loss by bone conduction, but not by air conduction
c. There is a loss by both air and bone conduction, and there
thresholds are essentially the same by air and by bone conduction.
d. There is a loss by both air and bone conduction, but the loss by
air conduction is worse than the loss by bone conduction

If the loss is mixed, what is the relationship of the
air- and bone- conduction thresholds?

a. There is a loss by air conduction, but not by bone conduction.
b. There is a loss by bone conduction, but not by air conduction
c. There is a loss by both air and bone conduction, and there
thresholds are essentially the same by air and by bone conduction.
d. There is a loss by both air and bone conduction, but the loss by
air conduction is worse than the loss by bone conduction.

What is an “air-bone” gap?
a. It is when air conduction thresholds are significantly better
than bone-conduction thresholds.
b. It is when bone-conduction thresholds are significantly
better than air conduction thresholds.

What is a “significant” air bone gap?
One that is at least ___ dB

What does it mean when there is a significant air-bone gap?
a. It just tells you there is a loss
b. It tells you how much of the loss is conductive
c. It tells you how much of the loss is sensorineural
d. It tells you how much of the loss is mixed.

If a hearing threshold were at 0 dB HL by air conduction,
and 0 dB HL by bone conduction, what type of loss exists?

If a hearing threshold were 50 dB HL by air conduction,
and 5 dB HL by bone conduction, what type of loss exists?

If a hearing threshold were 50 dB HL by air conduction,
and 30 dB HL by bone conduction, what type of loss exists?

If a hearing threshold was 50 dB HL by air conduction,
and 55 dB HL by bone conduction, what type of loss exists?

How can you have bone conduction be worse than air conduction?

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