AAO-HNSF Certificate Program for Otolaryngology Personnel

Putting it Together: Masking for Pure Tone Testing and SRT’s • Use narrow band noise as stimulus for pure tone, and speech noise for SRT’s • Start by adding Effective Masking (15 dB SL of masking noise) to the non-test ear’s threshold • Recheck threshold of test ear

AAO-HNS/F

Certificate Program for Otolaryngology Personnel Workshop

28

Masking for Pure Tone Testing and SRT’s (Continued) • If listener still responds, move to plateau • If they do not respond, then increase stimulus by 5dB until you find threshold • If they now respond, raise masking level by 10 dB and recheck threshold. Repeat once more. • This is called the plateau method

AAO-HNS/F

Certificate Program for Otolaryngology Personnel Workshop

29

Unmasked Thresholds

Add Effective Masking EM = AC (non-test) + 15 dB EM = 10 dB + 15 dB EM = 25 dB Re-establish threshold in the left ear Add 10 dB of Masking EM = 25 dB + 10 dB EM = 35 dB Re-establish threshold in the left ear

2000 Hz

Left

Right 10 dB

60 dB

Add 10 dB of Masking EM = 35 dB + 10 dB EM = 45 dB Record Masked Threshold

AAO-HNS/F

Certificate Program for Otolaryngology Personnel Workshop

30