title: Repeatability, agreement, and feasibility of using the threshold equalizing noise test and fast psychophysical tuning curves in a clinical setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate repeatability, agreement, and clinical feasibility of the threshold equalizing noise (TEN) test and fast psychophysical tuning curve (PTC) measurements to detect off-frequency listening, an indicator of cochlear dead regions (DRs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The TEN-test was carried out from 0.5 to 4 kHz and fast PTCs were carried out at ≥ 2 frequencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The TEN-test was completed on 70 ears; fast PTCs were measured on 20 ears.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TEN-test findings were repeatable in terms of meeting the criteria for a DR (97%) and identifying the same edge frequency (fe) (87%). In all cases, fast PTCs were repeatable in terms of meeting the criteria for DRs. There was 87% agreement between the two procedures in terms of the presence of off-frequency listening, and there was 73% agreement in terms of fe. Fast PTCs had a 10% lower 'conclusive finding' rate than the TEN-test and the test duration was typically 40 minutes longer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the TEN-test and fast PTCs have high test-retest repeatability. The TEN-test is more clinically feasible due to its shorter test duration and higher interpretation rate, but it may underestimate the extent of a DR because of its inability to precisely identify fe.
authors.affiliation: * School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester , UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pepler
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kluk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods*; D015834:Cochlear Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Cochlear dead regions; agreement; feasibility; psychophysical tuning curves; test repeatability; threshold equalizing noise test