Quantitative interpretation of audiological test battery. I. A comparison with ABR in 97 cases of unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

A retrospective study was made of 97 patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss who underwent an audiological test battery and ABR during a 2 1/2-year period. The test battery included tone- and speech audiometry, Békésy audiometry, loudness balance test, tone decay test and impedance measurements (reflex thresholds and reflex decay). A quantitative interpretation of each audiological test was tried out and a mean value of included tests (audiological test score ATS), was compared with results of ABR. The audiological test score showed the same predictive value as ABR for detection of acoustic neurinomas. Among the auditory tests, Békésy audiometry had the lowest sensitivity. Eight patients with neurinomas were found in the series. Retrocochlear test results prevailed in another 23 ears, most often in combined hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction and in insidious or longstanding hearing loss. Quantitative interpretation of the audiological test battery is valuable for uniformity in classification of sensorineural hearing loss, and will facilitate extended studies on aetiology and course in auditory dysfunction.