Speech and Hearing Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

7-7-1977

Abstract

In an investigation of the efficiency of typical Type V criteria (Rintelmann and Harford, 1967), atypical Type V criteria (Rotondi, 1976), and LOT-Bekesy audiometry (Rattler, 1970), Rotondi (1976) found atypical Type V Bekesy criteria to be the most efficient in the detection of functionality. Increasing the attenuation rate and sweep speed, and reducing the sweep frequency range em­ployed by Rotondi (1976) reduces total bilateral Bekesy testing time from 24 to eight minutes, still allowing for application of atypical and typical Type V criteria. It was one objective of this study to determine if a clinical­ly significant change was effected on the incidence of functionality and organicity detection with atypical and typical Type V criteria by varying Bekesy stimulus parame­ters.

It has been clinically observed (McClellan, 1976) that the discrepancy between the first ascending spondee response (FASR) and the speech reception threshold (SRT) is often larger in functionals than organics. No research has been reported on this relationship. It was a second objective to examine the amount of FASR-SRT discrepancy in func­tionals and organics, and to determine the amount of FASR­SRT discrepancy which best separates the two groups, thus rendering this a useful index of functionality.

Assuming the FASR-SRT discrepancy to be greater in functionals than organics, the third objective was to exam­ine the combined functionality detection efficiencies of the atypical and typical Type V criteria, and FASR-SRT discrepancy.

Recent evidence has demonstrated that ascending SRT and pure-tone techniques can yield a larger SRT-PTA (puretone average) discrepancy in simulated hearing loss than descending SRT and ascending pure-tone techniques (Conn et al., 1972). Ventry and Chaiklin (1965) found a larger functionality detection rate than Conn et al. (1972) em-ploying the latter techniques with functionals. Conclusive evidence has not been obtained concerning whether results from simulators can be generalized to functionals. The fourth objective was to compare obtained ascending SRT-PTA discrepancy data to the results of the two previous studies cited.

Procedures involved obtainment of an FASR-SRT discrep­ancy, ascending SRT (Chaiklin et al., 1967)-PTA (Conn et al., 1972) discrepancy, and tracing of a Bekesy audiogram with a fast attenuation rate and sweep speed and a reduced frequency range. Functional and organic FASR-SRT discrepancies were examined. SRT-PTA discrepancy results were compared to Conn et al. (1972) and Ventry and Chaiklin (1965). Obtained Bekesy data was compared to Rotondi (1976).

Varying Bekesy stimulus parameters did not affect the incidence of functionality and organicity detection with atypical or typical Type V criteria as compared to Rotondi (1976). The most efficient of the three indexes in functionality detection was atypical Type V criteria and com­bination with the other indexes did not enhance detection rate. Although functionals demonstrated a significantly larger FASR-SRT discrepancy than organics, this index was not efficient in functionality detection. The results, however, lent validity support to the Chaiklin et al.(1967) ascending SRT technique. The obtained percentage of functionality detection by SRT-PTA discrepancy compared favorably with Conn et al. (1972) and Ventry and Chaiklin (1965), while amount of discrepancy in functionals was smaller than that found by Conn et al. (1972), suggesting caution in generalizing from simulator to functional populations. The SRT-PTA discrepancy was enhanced by an SRT- PTA (Bekesy) comparison. This enhancement was attributed to patient control over signal intensity in Bekesy audiometry. It was concluded that typical Type V Bekesy analysis was inefficient in detection of functionality, thus, bi­lateral Bekesy testing time may be reduced to four minutes by presentation of only interrupted tones. Also, atypical Type V analysis need only involve examination of the SRT­PTA (Bekesy) discrepancy since this criterion was the most efficient in functionality detection.

Degree Name

Speech-Language Pathology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Speech and Hearing Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

Max E. Mc Clellan

Second Committee Member

Richard Baxter Hood

Third Committee Member

Karl Hattler

Fourth Committee Member

Wayne Swisher

Fifth Committee Member

Ella Martinez

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Download

Share

COinS