Glossary of Ear and Hearing Loss Terms

(awe-dee-ALL-oh-jist) A health-care professional with a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) or a masters degree in audiology and licensed by one of the audiology associations. Audiologists are trained to identify, measure and evaluate hearing loss and related disorders—including balance (vestibular) disorders and tinnitus—and to provide non-medical management of hearing loss, including hearing aids, assistive devices and rehabilitation.

The study or science of hearing. The profession of audiology is concerned with measurement and rehabilitation of auditory and communication problems.

A device for presenting precisely measured tones of specific frequencies (or speech and recorded signals) and intensity (loudness) levels in order to obtain an audiogram.

The performance of hearing-related tests.

An ABI is similar to a cochlear implant, except the electrodes are implanted directly in the base of the brain. ABIs are used when a person has NF type 2 (neurofibromatosis type 2) and have to have their auditory nerves cut (which renders them useless as far as cochlear implants are concerned).  People with ABIs generally only hear environmental sounds–not clear speech. ABI technology is today where CI technology was 25 years ago.

A test that can be used to assess auditory function in infants and young children using electrodes on the head to record electrical activity from the auditory (hearing) nerve. More technically, a hearing test that measures the neurological responses of the auditory nerve and brainstem to a series of clicking sounds. Basically, it measures the electrical impulses that are sent from the inner ear to the brain when sounds are heard. The test can be used to screen for hearing loss, estimate hearing threshold levels, evaluate auditory processing and rule out problems in the auditory nerve. Also referred to as Brainstem Evoked Response (BSER), Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential (BAEP), and Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER).

Hearing voices, singing, music or other phantom sounds. These sounds may be caused by schizophrenia. Also, some drugs cause auditory hallucinations as a side effect. However, the most common cause is a damaged auditory system. This often results in Musical Ear Syndrome.

(AWE-dih-tore-ee) The eighth cranial nerve that carries impulses (information) between the cochlea and the auditory cortex in the brain.

A term used to describe a pattern of symptoms in which behavioral or ABR measures suggest significant hearing loss while measures of cochlear function such as otoacoustic emissions appear normal. More technically, a term that describes a pattern of abnormal findings for a number of audiometric measures—e. g., auditory brain stem responses (ABR), pure-tone and speech audiometry, and/or acoustic reflexes, yet normal findings for otoacoustic emissions (OAE). The most common pattern is the absence of an ABR with normal OAE. Formerly called Auditory Neuropathy/Auditory Dyssynchrony (AN/AD) and before 2001 as Auditory Neuropathy (AN).

A disorder of auditory processing resulting from disease, trauma, or abnormal development of the auditory system in which some of the understanding or clarity (not volume) of sound is lost within the brain or nerve pathways leading to the brain.

Any reflex occurring in response to a sound. If the ear is essentially deaf, there will not be any auditory reflex.

Same as Aural Rehabilitation.

See Auditory Training.

An Assistive Listening Device—typically a personal FM system—for use in the classroom and/or at home. The benefit is that the background room noise is not amplified, and the parent or teacher’s voice goes directly to the child’s ear from any location, even from another nearby room.

Listening to environmental sounds, music and speech to practice recognizing and understanding what has been heard. In other words, the process of training a person to use their residual hearing to the best of their ability to recognize, identify and interpret sound.

An approach based on the principle that most hard of hearing children can be taught to listen and speak if they have early intervention and consistent training to develop their hearing potential. Also known as Oral Deaf Education.

See Aural Rehabilitation.

A general term that refers to teaching hard of hearing people how to adjust to, and compensate for, their hearing losses by making productive use of their residual hearing  in learning spoken communication skills through speechreading and auditory training. Training in the use of hearing aids is often included in this process.

The version of cochlear implant sound processor immediately preceding the Harmony sound processor from Advanced Bionics. It is a BTE style.

The external ear (pinna).

Hearing loss or balance problems can arise when the body’s immune system gets out of whack and attacks the inner ear. Normally if you have AIED, you likely also already have another immune system disease. Click here for comprehensive article on AIED.

A form of hearing aid circuitry that automatically adjusts the volume of sound so it remains within a comfortable range for the person wearing the hearing aid.

Methods of altering the input to analog hearing aids to improve hearing.

A computer system that converts the spoken word to text.

Any sound that a person does not wish to hear or that interferes with what they are trying to hear. Background sounds compete with speech and often make it difficult or impossible for a hard of hearing person to understand speech.