title: Masking level difference at relatively high masker levels: preliminary report.
abstract: The binaural masking level difference (MLD) was measured at multiple masking levels (i.e. 500 Hz narrow band noise presented at 50-100 dB overall SPL) in normal hearing subjects and clinical subjects with varying types and degrees of hearing loss. MLD versus noise level (MLD-NL) functions then were derived for each subject. Some growth in the MLD-NL was seen in nearly all cases of hearing loss up to 70 dB in the poorer ear. These findings suggest that the MLD-NL function may provide the basis for extending the diagnostic usefulness of the MLD test in cases of substantive hearing loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburg, Pa.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Durrant
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nozza
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hyre
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sabo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology*