electrodermal audiometry

audiometry /au·di·om·e·try/ (aw″de-om´ĭ-tre) measurement of the acuity of hearing for the various frequencies of sound waves.audiomet´ric

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Békésy audiometry  that in which the patient, by pressing a signal button, traces monaural thresholds for pure tones: the intensity of the tone decreases as long as the button is depressed and increases when it is released; both continuous and interrupted tones are used.

cortical audiometry  an objective method of determining auditory acuity by recording and averaging electric potentials evoked from the cortex of the brain in response to stimulation by pure tones.

electrocochleographic audiometry  measurement of electrical potentials from the middle ear or external auditory canal (cochlear microphonics and eighth nerve action potentials) in response to acoustic stimuli.

electrodermal audiometry  audiometry in which the subject is conditioned by harmless electric shock to pure tones, thereafter anticipating a shock when hearing a pure tone; the anticipation results in a brief electrodermal response, which is recorded; the lowest intensity at which the response is elicited is taken to be the hearing threshold.

localization audiometry  a technique for measuring the capacity to locate the source of a pure tone received binaurally in a sound field.

pure tone audiometry  audiometry utilizing pure tones that are relatively free of noise and overtones.

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electrodermal audiometry

n.

A form of electrophysiologic audiometry used to determine hearing thresholds by measuring changes in skin resistance as a conditioned response to noise stimuli.

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electrodermal audiometry

Etymology: Gk, elektron + derma, skin; L, audire, to hear; Gk, metron, measure

a method for determining hearing thresholds in which a harmless electric shock is used to condition the subject to a pure tone, which thereafter, coupled with the anticipation of a shock, elicits a brief electrodermal response. The lowest intensity of the sound that produces the skin response is considered the subject's hearing threshold. It is a very old procedure and rarely used today.