 | Term | Definition |
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Acoustic neuroma |
A tumor arising on the auditory (VIIIth cranial) nerve |
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Acoustic reflex |
The measurable contraction of the muscles of the middle ear in response to an intense sound |
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Air conduction |
The pathway of sounds that includes the oter ear, middle ear, inner ear, and the structures beyond. |
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Air-bone gap (ABG) |
The difference, in decibels, between the air-conduction threshold and the bone conduction threshold. |
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Audiogram |
A grah depicting the threshold of audibility (in decibels) as a function of different frequencies. |
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Audiometer |
A device used for the measurement of hearing. |
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Auditory nerve |
The VIIIth cranial nerve that carries information from the inner ear to the brain about hearing and balance. |
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Bone conduction |
The pathway of sound that bypasses the conductive mechanisms of the other and middle ear by vibrating the skull and stimulating the cochlea of the inner ear. |
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Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) |
Difficulty in discriminating speech, often in the presence of background noise, and frequently in the absence of the loss of hearing sensitivity. |
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Cochlea |
A structure in the inner ear that converts the mechanical energy received from the middle ear into an electrochemical code for transmission to the brain. |
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Conductive hearing loss |
A loss of hearing sensitivity caused by damage in to the outer and/or middle ear. |
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Hearing Level (HL) |
The reference that uses normal hearing in the scale of decibels. |
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Immittance |
Measurement of the impedance of the tympanic membrane or admittance of sound to the middle ear. |
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Mastoid process |
The bony protrusion behind the pinna. |
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Mixed hearing loss |
A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss in the same ear. |
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Myringotomy |
Incision into the typanic membrane with insertion of a small ventilating tube. |
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Otitis media |
Ifection of the middle ear. |
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Otosclerosis |
A hearing loss caused by bony fixation of the stapes in the oval window |
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Phonetically balanced (PB) word list |
Lists of 50 words that are supposed to contain all the phonetic elements of English speech. These lists are used for testing word recognition |
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Sensorineural Hearing loss |
Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear and/or auditory nerve. |
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Speech-recognition threshold (SRT) |
The lowest intensity at which speech can barely be heard. |
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Spondee |
A two-syllable word pronounced with equal emphasis on both syllables. Used in testing the SRT. |
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Threshold of audibility |
The lowest intensity at which a signal can barely be heard. |
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Tinnitus |
Ringing, roaring, or other sounds heard ing the absence of an external sound. |
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Tympanometry |
A pressure/compliance function that reveals the status of the middle ear. |
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Vestibular mechanism |
That part of the inner ear responsible for reporting balance and equilibrium to the brain. |
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Word-recognition score (WRS) |
The score, in percent, that reveals the ability to discriminate amonf the sounds of speech. |
