Brief Tone Audiometry: Results in Normal and Impaired Ears

Abstract

BRIEF TONE audiometry, the measurement of pure tone thresholds with tones of extremely short duration, is a promising procedure in diagnostic audiology. The brief tone test is based on an interesting phenomenon of audition—the ability of the ear to accumulate and integrate acoustic energy over a period of time. Previous studies too extensive to summarize here have shown that the ear is less sensitive to a tone of very short duration than to the same tone with a more prolonged presentation. That is, if a listener's threshold is determined for a very short tone and then the stimulus length is gradually increased, the listener will experience an increasing loudness, even though the intensity of the tone is held constant. As the stimulus duration is increased, the ear is able to use the additional energy in the longer tone. Thus, in a given ear a threshold response will be obtained for