Long-term measurements using home audiometry with Békésy's technique.
To examine the efficacy of fixed-frequency Békésy's home audiometry to assess hearing fluctuation and treatment outcomes in patients with subjectively fluctuating hearing loss.



SMAPH, a software audiometry program for Windows, was installed and calibrated on laptop computers. Békésy's audiometry was carried out daily in the patients' homes, using sound-attenuating earphones.



Seventeen patients with previously or currently subjectively fluctuating hearing loss. Five patients received of treatment for their conditions during the measurement period.



Measurement periods ranged from 6 to 60 days. Varying degrees of compliance were seen, some patients measuring less than 50% of the days, others measuring every day. Based on their long-term measurements the patients were classified into three groups: patients with stable recordings, with fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss, or with fluctuating high-frequency hearing loss. In the patients with stable recordings, significant test-retest differences were seen below 10 dB at frequencies 0.125-8 kHz.



Home audiometry with Békésy's technique can be used to evaluate disease activity and to monitor hearing results after therapy.
a Department of Clinical Science , Lund University , Lund , Sweden and.
K Jonas
KJ
Brännström
a Department of Clinical Science , Lund University , Lund , Sweden and.|b ENT-Department , Skåne University Hospital , Lund , Sweden.
Jan
J
Grenner
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods*; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012648:Self Care; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Long-term; adults; audiometry; self-recording