title: The Acceptable Noise Level and the Pure-Tone Audiogram.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The vast majority of previous studies suggest that there is no relationship between the acceptable noise level (ANL) and pure-tone hearing thresholds reported as the average pure-tone hearing thresholds (pure-tone average). This study aims to explore (a) the relationship between hearing thresholds at individual frequencies and the ANL and (b) a measure of the slope of the audiogram and ANL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three Danish adult hearing aid users participated. Assessments were pure-tone audiogram and 3 different versions of the ANL test made monaurally at 2 different sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings show that low-frequency hearing thresholds and the slope of the audiogram are significantly related to all versions of the ANL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible that previous studies have failed to discover a relationship between ANL and hearing thresholds due to the use of the broad 4-frequency pure-tone average. This has implications for our understanding of the ANL test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science, Section of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jonas Brännström
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Steen Østergaard
authors.initials: SØ
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise