What is clinical masking?

What is clinical masking?

What is clinical masking?

Clinical masking is an application of the masking phenomenon used to alleviate cross-hearing. In clinical masking we put noise into the nontest ear because we want to assess the hearing of the test ear. In other words, the masking noise goes into the NTE, and the test signal goes into the TE.

What masking noise is used when testing pure tones?

Method of masking If one is doing pure-tone testing, the masking signal should be narrow band noise centered on the test frequency. If one is doing speech, one should use speech noise.

What is clinical pure-tone audiometry?

Pure-tone audiometry is a behavioral test used to measure hearing sensitivity. This measure involves the peripheral and central auditory systems. Pure-tone thresholds (PTTs) indicate the softest sound audible to an individual at least 50% of the time.

What is effective masking?

EMLs are determined by presenting the signal and the masker to the same ear; effective masking refers to the lowest level of noise required to mask a signal to 50% probability of detection for a large group of normal-hearing adults (e.g., Hood, 1960 ; Studebaker, 1967).

What is clinical masking in audiology?

Masking in audiology is the act of playing white noise into the non-test ear to prevent it from hearing the tones that crossover from the test ear. It helps to obtain the true threshold of the test ear, and ensures that the non-test ear is not helping out.

What is a masking dilemma?

Abstract. A masking dilemma occurs when energy from a non-test ear crosses over the head to a test ear. In cases of bilateral atresia, obtaining thresholds on the poorer ear is problematic.

How do you do a pure tone audiometry test?

Threshold Measurement Procedure

  1. Beginning with a 1000-Hz tone, continuously on but completely attenuated, gradually increase the sound-pressure level of the tone until a response occurs.
  2. Present a 1000-Hz tone at a 30 dB hearing level (HL). If a clear response occurs, begin threshold measurement.

How do you determine if masking is needed?

The general rule is to compare the air-conduction threshold of the test ear to air-conduction threshold of the non-test ear. If the test ear threshold is ≥ 50 dB above the non-test ear threshold, then masking is needed.

Why it is called pure tone audiometry?

About Pure-Tone Testing It is also called air conduction testing since the sounds go through your outer and middle ear. This test helps find the quietest sound you can hear at different pitches, or frequencies. Having earphones on lets the sounds go to one ear at a time. Sometimes, it is not possible to use earphones.

How is pure tone audiometry done?

Pure tone testing (audiogram) — For this test, you wear earphones attached to the audiometer. Pure tones of a specific frequency and volume are delivered to one ear at a time. You are asked to signal when you hear a sound. The minimum volume required to hear each tone is graphed.

How do you tell if you are masking?

How it looks will vary from person to person, but masking can include behaviors like these:

  1. forcing or faking eye contact during conversations.
  2. imitating smiles and other facial expressions.
  3. mimicking gestures.
  4. hiding or minimizing personal interests.
  5. developing a repertoire of rehearsed responses to questions.

Why do we mask in audiology?

When to mask the nontest ear in pure tone audiometry?

Studebaker 1 suggested that the nontest ear should be masked during pure-tone air-conduction testing whenever the presentation level at the test ear exceeds the unmasked bone-conduction threshold of the nontest ear by more than 40 db.

How is air conduction unmasked in audiometric masking?

The origin will be revealed by obtaining the bone conduction threshold for the left ear while occupying the right ear with masking. The procedure is outline below in several steps, some of which are specific to Interacoustics equipment. Perform air conduction audiometry unmasked for both ears.

When was manual pure tone threshold audiometry adopted?

The third was the Manual Pure-Tone Threshold Audiometry Guidelines (1976), adopted by ASHA in November 1977. ASHA encourages the professional community to use these guidelines.

When to use masking during bone conduction testing?

On the other hand, the nontest ear should be masked during bone-conduction testing anytime an unmasked air-bone gap is observed on the test ear. 2 Thus, the problem clinically is not in determining when masking is indicated or even the type of masking noise that is the most efficient. The main problem is in determining how much 1.