Speech Audiometry in Conductive and Sensorineural Hearing loss

Abstract

The results of Free-field speech audiometry, carried out upon 30 subjects with conductive deafness and 43 subjects with ‘cochlear’ deafness have been analysed with reference to their average ‘hearing levels’ for the frequencies 500, 1000 and 2000Hz, to give approximately 10dB differences in the ‘group average hearing levels’.The speech audiograms of the conductive group follow the same course as the normal curve and all attain 100% recognition. In the ‘cochlear’ group with deafness in excess of 31dB it has been possible to demonstrate a systematic deterioration of speech discrimination with hearing levels. The resultant correlation has practical application in (a) scales of compensation for occupational hearing loss, (b) the correction of cochlear hearing loss by means of hearing aids and (c) the use of speech audiometry in the differential diagnosis of cochlear and retrocochlear hearing loss.