High-frequency auditory thresholds in normal hearing adults

Abstract

Purpose: Evaluate high-frequency auditory thresholds, seeking to compare responses between the ears, to verify the correlation between hearing level and aging and analyze frequency responses in normal hearing adults. Methods: This is a prospective, quantitative, transversal study conducted with a convenience sample. Study participants were 60 individuals aged 18 to 58 years (mean=25.82) with auditory thresholds within normality standards (250-8000 Hz) and normal results in acoustic immittance measurements. High-frequency pure-tone hearing thresholds were determined using an Interacoustics AS10HF audiometer with electrodynamic high-fidelity KOSS R/80 headphones, with thresholds expressed in dBNPS. Results: Hearing thresholds showed an increase for the right ear with statistical significance at the 10, 11 and 14 kHz frequencies and a tendency to significance at 13 kHz. As of the 14 kHz frequency, a progressive increase directly proportional to the frequency was observed bilaterally, with the thresholds increasing proportionally to age advancement for all frequencies. Conclusion: High-frequency auditory thresholds progressively increase proportionally to frequency and age advancement in normal hearing individuals, with higher values for the right ear.