title: High-pass masking in the classification of low-frequency hearing loss.
abstract: Invalid BC determinations may be responsible for many diagnostic misinterpretations in the classification of low-frequency hearing losses. To reduce the influence from harmonic distortion, BC thresholds are determined during simultaneous, ipsilateral HP masking and composed with the conventionally obtained BC thresholds. Based on normative data a change of greater than or equal to 10 dB HL caused by HP masking is used as the criterion for judging the validity of the conventional BC testing. In 55% (11/20) of ears with low-frequency hearing loss, a decrease in air-bone gap was obtained with HP masking, and it is concluded that HP masking is of clinical significance for the diagnosis in these patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods*; D001844:Bone Conduction; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010470:Perceptual Masking