Journal of Audiology & Otology

The Korean Audiology Society (대한청각학회)
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Better Understanding of Direct Bone-Conduction Measurement: Comparison with Frequency-Specific Bone-Conduction Tones and Brainstem Responses

  • Kim, Yeoju (Laboratory of Hearing and Technology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University) ;
  • Han, Woojae (Laboratory of Hearing and Technology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University) ;
  • Park, Sihun (Laboratory of Hearing and Technology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University) ;
  • You, Sunghwa (Laboratory of Hearing and Technology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University) ;
  • Kwak, Chanbeom (Laboratory of Hearing and Technology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University) ;
  • Seo, Youngjoon (Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Jihyeon (Laboratory of Hearing and Technology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University)
  • Received : 2019.08.30
  • Accepted : 2019.10.16
  • Published : 2020.04.20
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Abstract

Background and Objectives: The present study aimed to compare thresholds of direct bone-conduction (BC direct) with those of behaviorally measured BC pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and objectively measured BC auditory brainstem response (ABR) to confirm the clinical feasibility of their relationships. Subjects and Methods: Young adults with normal hearing participated in the study to determine the thresholds from three measurements at four testing frequencies. In the BC direct, the vibrator of a bone-anchored hearing aid softband was placed on the right mastoid of each subject. In both PTA and ABR, a B71 bone oscillator was placed on the subject's right mastoid. While the subject's thresholds of BC direct and BC PTA were determined with a clinically routine 5-dB step procedure, BC ABR was conducted to determine the individual's hearing sensitivity by a peak V of the waveform using tone-burst and click stimuli. Results: The BC direct showed a different pattern between low and high frequencies. Precisely, its thresholds were 13.25 and 12.25 dB HL at 0.5 and 1 kHz, respectively, but 19 and 19.75 dB HL at 2 and 4 kHz, respectively. A significant positive correlation existed between BC direct and PTA at 1 kHz, which was also correlated with ABR. Conclusions: Based on the current data, the thresholds of BC direct were similar to BC PTA at low frequencies and BC ABR at high frequencies. The thresholds of BC direct might be predictable at approximately 5 dB higher (or lower) than that in PTA, although a large data set is required for standardization.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea grant (NRF 2019K1A3A1A47000527).

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