Comparing pure-tone audiometry and auditory steady state response for the measurement of hearing loss.
OBJECTIVE
To compare pure-tone audiometry and auditory steady state response (ASSR) to measure hearing loss based on the severity of hearing loss in frequencies.


METHODS
A total of 105 subjects (168 ears, 64 male and 41 female) were enrolled in this study. We determined hearing level by measurement of pure-tone audiometry and ASSR on the same day for each subject.


RESULTS
Pure-tone audiometry and ASSR were highly correlated (r=0.96). The relationship is described by the equation PTA=1.05 x mean ASSR - 7.6. When analyzed according to the frequencies, the correlation coefficients were 0.94, 0.95, 0.94, and 0.92 for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
From this study, authors could conclude that pure-tone audiometry and ASSR showed very similar results and indicated that ASSR may be a good alternative method for the measurement of hearing level in infants and children, for whom pure-tone audiometry is not appropriate.
Ahn
Joong Ho
JH
Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Hyo-Sook
HS
Kim
Young-Jin
YJ
Yoon
Tae Hyun
TH
Chung
Jong Woo
JW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods*; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013223:Statistics as Topic