* Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Western Michigan University , Kalamazoo , USA.
Int J Audiol. 2014 Mar;53 Suppl 2(0 2):S5-15. doi: 10.3109/14992027.2013.857435.
To estimate the short-term variability and correlates of variability in pure-tone thresholds obtained using audiometric equipment designed for occupational use, and to examine the justification for excluding 8 kHz as a mandatory threshold in occupational hearing conservation programs.
Pure-tone thresholds and other hearing-related tests (e.g. noise dosimetry, otoscopy, middle-ear assessment) were conducted with a group of 527 adults between 20 and 69 years of age. Five measurement visits were completed by participants within 14 days.
The 50% critical difference boundaries were - 5 and 0 dB at 4 kHz and below and - 5 and 5 dB at 6 and 8 kHz. The likelihood of spurious notches due to test-retest variability was substantially lower than the likelihood of failing to detect a notched configuration when present. Correlates of variability included stimulus frequency, baseline threshold, acoustic reflectance of the ear, average noise exposure during the previous eight hours, age, and the tester's level of education in audiology.
The short-term variability in 8-kHz pure-tone thresholds obtained with the TDH-39P earphone was slightly greater than at other frequencies, but this difference was not large enough to justify the disadvantages stemming from the inability to detect a 6-kHz notch.
评估使用职业用听力计获得的纯音阈值的短期可变性及其相关因素，并探讨将 8 kHz 排除在职业听力保护计划中作为强制性阈值的合理性。
对 527 名年龄在 20 至 69 岁之间的成年人进行了纯音阈值和其他听力相关测试（如噪声剂量学、耳镜检查、中耳评估）。参与者在 14 天内完成了 5 次测量访问。
4 kHz 及以下频率的 50%临界差异边界为-5 和 0 dB，6 和 8 kHz 频率的 50%临界差异边界为-5 和 5 dB。由于测试-重测可变性而产生虚假切迹的可能性远低于存在切迹配置时未能检测到的可能性。可变性的相关因素包括刺激频率、基线阈值、耳声反射、前八小时的平均噪声暴露、年龄以及听力学家的教育水平。
使用 TDH-39P 耳机获得的 8 kHz 纯音阈值的短期可变性略高于其他频率，但这种差异不足以证明无法检测到 6 kHz 切迹所带来的不利影响。
