Acoustic reflex threshold and loudness discomfort

OBJECTIVE: Trying to find an accurate relation between loudness discomfort level and acoustic reflex threshold.

METHODS: Seventy patients were involved in this study. Ten normal patients, 30 patients of unilateral conductive hearing loss and 30 patients of unilateral or bilateral, mild to moderate sensorinearal hearing loss were tested by 1, 2, KH2 pure tones, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 KHz narrow band noise, wide band noise and speech noise stimuli to get loudness discomfort level and acoustic reflex threshold in each ear for each stimulus.

RESULTS: Ninety two percent of predicted loudness discomfort levels occurred within +/-6 of acoustic reflex threshold rescaled data, when least squares regression method was applied.

CONCLUSION: It is apparent that predicted results are statically significant. They are not constant value, but vary according to the acoustic reflex threshold change, stimulus used and hearing situation (normal, conductive or perceptive loss).