Train-the-Trainer Webinar Series - #2 Teaching Masking (TX-143-24-044)-Trainer #2 - Masking

Trainer #2 - Masking - Slides

Pdf Summary

This presentation is about the theory and procedures of masking in audiology. Masking is a clinical procedure used to ensure that the ear being tested is the one responding to the test signals. Interaural attenuation (IA), cross hearing, and crossover are important concepts in masking, as they can affect the accuracy of auditory function measurement. Interaural attenuation refers to the loss of sound energy as it travels from the test ear to the non-test ear. There are three types of masking: under masking, over masking, and effective masking. Effective masking is the goal of clinical masking, where just enough masking is applied to prevent crossover. The plateau method is a technique used to achieve effective masking. A mirror audiogram may indicate the need for masking when the better ear is answering for the poorer ear. The occlusion effect is the increase in low-frequency bone conduction sound transmission when an ear is occluded. There are specific procedures and formulas for masking in various test scenarios, such as air conduction, bone conduction, speech reception threshold, and word recognition testing. The presenter recommends following the International Hearing Society (IHS) masking protocols and acknowledges that there may be different methods used to achieve effective masking. There are also additional training tools available, such as virtual client testing tools, for further practice and learning.

Keywords

masking

audiology

interaural attenuation

crossover

effective masking

plateau method

mirror audiogram

occlusion effect

speech reception threshold

training tools