New Hearing Test Can Improve Diagnosis of
Middle Ear Disorders
A
new test developed by a Nebraska
researcher and studied by scientists at
Ohio University could offer doctors a
better diagnostic tool for middle ear
infections and other hearing disorders
than currently available exams.
The
technique, called wide-band reflectance,
could help clinicians understand how
middle ear infection, hardening of the ear
bones, facial nerve paralysis or other
middle ear disorders impact a patient's
hearing at various frequencies.
The
wide-band reflectance technique, developed
by Douglas Keefe of the Boys Town National
Research Hospital in Omaha, Neb., uses a
series of eight chirping sounds emitted
into the ear canal to determine how well
the middle ear reacts to sounds that span
the human speech range. Computer software
analyzes the data, graphing the middle
ear's performance. The procedure takes
only a few seconds.
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