title: Probe tube microphone measures of loudness discomfort levels in children.
abstract: Loudness discomfort levels (LDLs) have been advocated as a means for selecting the SSPL90 setting of an individual's hearing aid. Kawell, Kopun, and Stelmachowicz (Ear Hear 1988; 9: 133-136) recently developed a procedure to measure LDLs in children. Several procedural cautions, involving the hearing aid stimulus delivery and sound field calibration, have been noted with this method. As a means of overcoming these problems, a new method utilizing insert earphone derived stimuli delivered to a child's ear-mold with probe tube microphone monitoring of real-ear sound pressure level was explored. Twenty children, aged 7 to 14 years, served as subjects. The advantage of the present method lies in the procedural conveniences and the ability to compare real-ear audiometric measures and hearing aid performance.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Communication Disorders, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durieux-Smith
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stenstrom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods*; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002648:Child; D004424:Ear Canal; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D013016:Sound