ABA Audiologic Assessment & Diagnosis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which tympanometric peak pressure value is most consistent with Eustachian tube dysfunction?
- -50 daPa
- +50 daPa
- 0 daPa
- -200 daPa (Correct answer)
Correct answer: -200 daPa
Negative middle ear pressure more negative than -150 daPa suggests Eustachian tube dysfunction impairing pressure equalization.
Question 2: A patient shows absent acoustic reflexes bilaterally at all frequencies with normal tympanograms. The most likely site of lesion is:
- Cochlea
- Auditory nerve or brainstem (Correct answer)
- Middle ear ossicles
- Eustachian tube
Correct answer: Auditory nerve or brainstem
Absent acoustic reflexes with normal tympanograms and middle ear function point to retrocochlear pathology at the auditory nerve or brainstem level.
Question 3: The carhart notch on bone conduction audiometry is a mechanical artifact characteristically seen at which frequency?
- 500 Hz
- 2000 Hz (Correct answer)
- 4000 Hz
- 1000 Hz
Correct answer: 2000 Hz
The Carhart notch is a 2000 Hz bone conduction dip caused by the resonant frequency of the ossicular chain being disrupted in otosclerosis.
Question 4: Which ABR wave is generated by the cochlear nucleus?
- Wave I
- Wave II
- Wave III (Correct answer)
- Wave V
Correct answer: Wave III
Wave III of the ABR is generated by the cochlear nucleus (CN) in the brainstem.
Question 5: In otoacoustic emission testing, which type of OAE is elicited by presenting two simultaneous pure tones (f1 and f2)?
- Transient evoked OAE (TEOAE)
- Distortion product OAE (DPOAE) (Correct answer)
- Spontaneous OAE (SOAE)
- Stimulus frequency OAE (SFOAE)
Correct answer: Distortion product OAE (DPOAE)
DPOAEs are generated by the nonlinear interaction of two simultaneous primary tones (f1 and f2) in the cochlea.
Question 6: A child presents with a flat audiogram showing hearing loss in the 60-70 dB HL range with absent OAEs and absent ABR at high intensities. Which diagnosis is most consistent?
- Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder
- Severe sensorineural hearing loss (Correct answer)
- Conductive hearing loss
- Central auditory processing disorder
Correct answer: Severe sensorineural hearing loss
Flat severe SNHL with absent OAEs and absent ABR indicates widespread outer hair cell and auditory nerve dysfunction consistent with severe sensorineural loss.
Question 7: Which masking level difference (MLD) result indicates normal binaural processing?
- 0 dB release from masking
- 3 dB release from masking
- 10-15 dB release from masking (Correct answer)
- No change between S0N0 and SπN0
Correct answer: 10-15 dB release from masking
Normal binaural processing yields 10-15 dB of release from masking when comparing SπN0 to S0N0 conditions.
ABA Audiologic Assessment & Diagnosis 2
Which tympanometric peak pressure value is most consistent with Eustachian tube dysfunction?