CCC Audiology and Hearing Sciences 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of hearing loss results from damage to the outer or middle ear, preventing adequate sound transmission to the cochlea?
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Conductive hearing loss (Correct answer)
- Mixed hearing loss
- Central auditory processing disorder
Correct answer: Conductive hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when a mechanical problem in the outer or middle ear reduces the transmission of sound energy to the inner ear.
Question 2: On an audiogram, the air-bone gap indicates which finding?
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Normal hearing
- Conductive component to the hearing loss (Correct answer)
- Central auditory processing disorder
Correct answer: Conductive component to the hearing loss
An air-bone gap, where bone conduction thresholds are better than air conduction thresholds, indicates a conductive component to the hearing loss.
Question 3: Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) measure the function of which structure?
- Auditory cortex
- Outer hair cells of the cochlea (Correct answer)
- Middle ear ossicles
- Auditory nerve (CN VIII)
Correct answer: Outer hair cells of the cochlea
OAEs are sounds generated by the outer hair cells of the cochlea and are measured to assess cochlear (outer hair cell) integrity.
Question 4: Which audiological test assesses the integrity of the auditory brainstem pathway by measuring electrical responses to sound?
- Pure tone audiometry
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) (Correct answer)
- Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
- Acoustic reflex threshold testing
Correct answer: Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
The ABR records electrical responses from the auditory nerve and brainstem to click or tone-burst stimuli, assessing neural pathway integrity.
Question 5: Presbycusis is defined as age-related hearing loss and typically presents as which audiometric pattern?
- Low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss
- Flat conductive hearing loss
- High-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (Correct answer)
- Unilateral conductive loss
Correct answer: High-frequency sensorineural hearing loss
Presbycusis typically causes a bilateral, symmetric, high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss due to cochlear hair cell degeneration with age.
Question 6: Tympanometry assesses the function and compliance of which structure?
- Cochlea
- Tympanic membrane and middle ear system (Correct answer)
- Auditory nerve
- Eustachian tube only
Correct answer: Tympanic membrane and middle ear system
Tympanometry measures tympanic membrane compliance and middle ear pressure to assess middle ear function and pathology.
CCC Audiology and Hearing Sciences 1
Which type of hearing loss results from damage to the outer or middle ear, preventing adequate sound transmission to the cochlea?