HAC Types of Hearing Loss & Assessment 4

Question 1

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are generated by which structure within the cochlea?

Accepted Answer

Outer hair cells

Answer

OAEs are sounds produced by the active motility of outer hair cells and are a sensitive indicator of cochlear function.

Question 2

A patient presents with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, poor word recognition disproportionate to the audiogram, and absent acoustic reflexes on one side. The most likely diagnosis is:

Accepted Answer

Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)

Answer

Asymmetric SNHL with poor word recognition and absent ipsilateral reflexes are classic red flags for a retrocochlear lesion such as an acoustic neuroma.

Question 3

Which audiometric finding is characteristic of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD)?

Accepted Answer

Present OAEs with absent or abnormal ABR

Answer

ANSD involves intact outer hair cell function (present OAEs or cochlear microphonic) but disrupted neural synchrony (absent or grossly abnormal ABR).

Question 4

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) most characteristically affects which frequencies first?

Accepted Answer

High frequencies (3000–8000 Hz)

Answer

Presbycusis typically presents as a bilaterally symmetrical, gradually sloping high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss due to cumulative cochlear hair cell degeneration.

Question 5

In the modified Hughson-Westlake procedure, after a correct response the clinician decreases the signal by how many dB?

Accepted Answer

10 dB

Answer

The modified ascending method uses 10 dB down (after correct response) and 5 dB up (after incorrect response) steps to bracket the threshold.

(HAC) Hearing Aid Certification Practice Test

(HAC) Hearing Aid Certification Practice Test

HAC Types of Hearing Loss & Assessment 4