A Report of Extended High Frequency Audiometry Thresholds in School-Age Children with No Hearing Complaints

Adriana Ribeiro Tavares Anastasio,Renata Daniela Radael,Stavros Hatzopoulos,Juliana Maria Cavalcante

doi:10.4081/audiores.2012.e8

Adriana Ribeiro Tavares Anastasio, Renata Daniela Radael + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.4081/audiores.2012.e8

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to establish the extended high frequency thresholds (EHF) of school-age children with no hearing complaints. The study was conducted on 50 children aged 8 to 12 years with pure tone thresholds (0.5, 1 and 2 kHz) of 15 dB HL or less, with normal speech discrimination and tympanometry and with the presence of contralateral acoustic reflexes of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz. The children were tested for EHF at frequencies of 9, 10, 11.2, 12.5, 14 and 16 kHz. No significant differences were found between the right and left ear for female and male groups. The results allowed us to group the children into a single sample with mean thresholds (dB) of 8.6 (9 kHz), 6.2 (10 kHz), 8.2 (11.2 kHz), 7.1 (12.5 kHz), 0.4 (14 kHz), and -3.6 (16 kHz). We conclude that, for school-age children, the extended EHF below 15 dBHL could be used as an indication of normal hearing sensitivity.

Highlights

The aim of the study was to establish the extended high frequency thresholds (EHF) of school-age children with no hearing complaints
Subjects were included in the study if they presented no hearing complications and the following characteristics in both ears: i) mean hearing threshold up to 15 dB HL for frequencies of 0.5, 1 and 2 kHz;[11] and ii) type A tympanometric curve with the presence of contralateral acoustic reflexes at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz.[12]
A significant difference was observed at 16 kHz between females and males, with high average thresholds for the boys

Summary

Introduction

The aim of the study was to establish the extended high frequency thresholds (EHF) of school-age children with no hearing complaints. The study was conducted on 50 children aged 8 to 12 years with pure tone thresholds (0.5, 1 and 2 kHz) of 15 dB HL or less, with normal speech discrimination and tympanometry and with the presence of contralateral acoustic reflexes of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz. The children were tested for EHF at frequencies of 9, 10, 11.2, 12.5, 14 and 16 kHz. No significant differences were found between the right and left ear for female and male groups. For school-age children, the extended EHF below 15 dBHL could be used as an indication of normal hearing sensitivity

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