Temporal Integration: I. Clinical Implications of a Laboratory Study. II. Additional Data from Hearing-Impaired Subjects

Abstract

The two purposes of this report are to discuss three problems that clinicians should consider when they use temporal integration data for diagnostic purposes and to provide additional data on temporal integration in persons with sensorineural hearing impairment. The first problem which must be considered stems from evidence that, for persons with normal sensitivity as well as persons with sensorineural hearing impairment, integration time is dependent on frequency. Therefore, before making inferences about atypical temporal integration, norms should be established for each test frequency. The second problem stems from evidence that an individual can show considerable variability when repeated measurements of temporal integration are made. Therefore, until a highly reliable measurement procedure is found, several determinations of the temporal integration function should be made. The third problem stems from evidence that integration time can differ when different psychophysical procedures are used. These differences, due to method of measurement, lead to very different interpretations of temporal integration data. Therefore, it is suggested that a single, standard clinical procedure for measuring temporal integration be developed. The second half of the report gives temporal integration data from eight persons with sensorineural hearing-impairment who show a wide variety of audiometric configurations.