Praxis Audiology flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- dB SPL reference
- Sound pressure level is expressed relative to 20 micropascals, the approximate threshold of human hearing at 1000 Hz; used in calibration and physical measurement of sound.
- dB HL reference
- Hearing level uses a normative reference so that 0 dB HL equals the average normal threshold at each audiometric frequency; used in clinical audiometry.
- Sensitivity vs. specificity
- Sensitivity is the proportion of people with the disorder who test positive; specificity is the proportion without the disorder who test negative.
- Air-bone gap
- The difference between air-conduction and bone-conduction thresholds at the same frequency; a gap of 10 dB or more suggests a conductive component.
- Presbycusis
- Age-related, typically bilateral and symmetric high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss caused largely by outer hair cell degeneration; the most common type of sensory loss.
- Noise notch
- A characteristic dip in the audiogram near 3000 to 6000 Hz, greatest at 4000 Hz, seen in noise-induced hearing loss with relative preservation of lower frequencies.
- Otosclerosis
- Abnormal bone remodeling that fixates the stapes, producing a conductive hearing loss often with a Carhart notch near 2000 Hz on bone conduction.
- Meniere disease
- An inner ear disorder marked by episodic vertigo, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness, often affecting low frequencies first.
- Pure-tone average
- The arithmetic mean of air-conduction thresholds at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz; commonly used to classify degree of hearing loss.
- Type B tympanogram
- A flat tympanogram with little or no pressure peak, consistent with middle ear effusion, tympanic membrane perforation, or a probe against the canal wall.
- Type C tympanogram
- A tympanogram with a peak shifted to significant negative pressure, suggesting eustachian tube dysfunction or early negative middle ear pressure.
- Acoustic reflex decay
- A decline of 50 percent or more in reflex amplitude within 10 seconds of a sustained tone; suggests retrocochlear pathology such as acoustic neuroma.
- Otoacoustic emissions
- Low-level sounds produced by outer hair cell motility and measured in the ear canal; present emissions suggest cochlear function and loss no greater than about 30 dB HL.
- ABR Wave V
- The most robust auditory brainstem response wave, occurring around 5.5 to 6 ms in adults; used for threshold estimation and neural pathway assessment.
- Interaural attenuation
- The reduction in sound level as it crosses from one ear to the other; approximately 40 dB for headphones and near 0 dB for bone conduction.
- Rollover
- A decline in speech recognition scores as presentation level increases above the optimal level; suggests retrocochlear involvement rather than cochlear loss.
- Real-ear measurement
- A probe microphone measure of the amplified sound in the ear canal, used to verify hearing aid output against prescriptive gain targets.
- Cochlear implant candidacy
- Indicated for severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with limited speech perception benefit from appropriately fitted hearing aids; evaluation includes aided testing and imaging.
- Tinnitus retraining
- A management approach combining sound therapy and counseling or cognitive behavioral techniques to reduce tinnitus-related distress; no single curative treatment exists.
- FM system
- A wireless assistive listening device that delivers a speaker's voice directly to the listener, improving the signal-to-noise ratio in noisy or distant settings.
- Vestibular rehabilitation
- Exercise-based therapy using habituation and balance training to reduce dizziness and improve function; not appropriate for acute infection or unexplained acute vertigo.
- Cerumen management
- Removal of ear canal cerumen under direct visualization; requires caution when perforation or tympanostomy tube is present, and irrigation may be contraindicated.
- 1-3-6 guideline
- Joint Committee on Infant Hearing benchmarks: screen by 1 month, diagnose by 3 months, and begin early intervention by 6 months of age.
- Auditory neuropathy spectrum
- A disorder with present otoacoustic emissions or cochlear microphonic but absent or abnormal ABR, often accompanied by poor speech perception.
- Visual reinforcement audiometry
- A behavioral test for infants and toddlers in which a head turn to sound is reinforced by an animated toy; typically used from about 6 months to 2 to 3 years.
- Play audiometry
- A conditioned behavioral test in which the child performs a game response, such as dropping a block, each time a tone is heard; used around ages 2 to 5 years.
- IDEA
- Federal law ensuring free appropriate public education for children with disabilities, requiring individualized education programs and related services such as audiology.
- Section 504
- A civil rights provision prohibiting disability discrimination in programs receiving federal funds; provides accommodations for students not needing special education.
- Otitis media with effusion
- Middle ear fluid without acute infection, common in young children; causes fluctuating conductive loss and is identified with tympanometry and pneumatic otoscopy.
- Preferential seating
- Placing a student near the teacher and away from noise sources to improve access to speech; a common classroom accommodation for hearing loss.
- Mixed hearing loss
- Both air-conduction and bone-conduction thresholds are elevated, and an air-bone gap of 10 dB or more indicates a conductive component superimposed on sensorineural loss.
- Acoustic neuroma
- A benign tumor of the vestibular nerve that typically causes unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, asymmetric speech recognition, and tinnitus; imaging is required for retrocochlear signs.