Questions are raised about the technical and psychological interpretation of loudness match measures in the assessment of tinnitus "intensity". The effect of hearing threshold on loudness matches expressed in sensation level (SL) was investigated by selecting subjects with different degrees of hearing loss. The loudness match expressed in SL was found to be a function of threshold. Correlations were then determined between psychological scales of tinnitus complaint (reported loudness, distress, intrusiveness, and others) and loudness match expressed in HL, SL, sones, or personal loudness units (PLUs). Only matches expressed in PLUs were significantly correlated with reported loudness or other psychological scales. The PLU transformation, derived from an individually determined loudness function, produces values that are generally independent of other audiometric measures. It is therefore recommended for assessing tinnitus "intensity".

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hearing levels in Nigerian ataxic neuropathy.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Epidemiology of sensorineural hearing loss.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Audiometry↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Subjective magnitude of auditory impairment. A pilot study.

A study of two samples (one in London, the other in Cairo) of patients who were suffering from an impairment of hearing showed that the subjective magnitude of auditory handicap was significantly correlated to the average hearing level at 2 000 Hz for the two ears. For both samples, the subjective magnitude of the auditory handicap was shown to be a power function of the hearing loss expressed in terms of the sound pressure corresponding to the threshold of hearing. The exponents in the power function applying to the two samples were similar. Age, sex and pain threshold did not influence the estimation of the subjective magnitude of auditory handicap in this study.

Adolescent↗