title: Evaluation of relationship between hearing threshold and loudness discomfort level in sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: The relationship between hearing level and loudness discomfort level (LDL) for narrow-band noise was evaluated in two groups of patients with sensorineural hearing loss. Group I had thresholds ranging from 25-60 dB SPL and Group II's thresholds ranged from 65-100 dB SPL. LDLs were determined for narrow bands of noise centered at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. The LDLs for Group II were greater than those for Group I and the differences were statistically significant. It is speculated that one reason for others not finding differences as a function of hearing level may be the absence of severe to profound hearing loss in the test populations.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011571:Psychoacoustics