Masking the ABR (2/2): When and How to Mask in ABR Testing

TL;DR

This video discusses the physiological mechanisms of cross hearing and the use of masking in auditory brainstem response testing.

Transcript

so what we're going to do I've got a quite a long introduction which i think is important to establish or at least remind ourselves of some of the mechanisms physiological mechanisms of cross hearing in other words the the phenomenon that leads to the need for masking so with with that basis established I'll then just go on to to talk about masking... Read More

Key Insights

• 😒 Cross hearing can affect the accuracy of auditory brainstem response testing and the use of masking helps mitigate this issue.
• 😷 In auditory brainstem response testing, the relative mask level is important to determine the point at which the non-test ear is completely masked.
• 😷 The masking calculator is a helpful tool in determining the appropriate level of masking in auditory brainstem response testing.
• 😷 The Eclipse system allows for easier implementation of masking in auditory brainstem response testing and provides additional features such as contralateral measurements and waveform analysis.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is cross hearing and why is it important in auditory brainstem response testing?

Cross hearing refers to the phenomenon of sound being detected by the non-test ear in response to stimulation in the test ear. It is important to consider because it can affect the accuracy of auditory brainstem response results.

Q: What is the difference between effective mask level and relative mask level?

Effective mask level is the level at which the masking signal is first introduced, while relative mask level is the point at which the non-test ear can no longer respond to the cross heard sound. It is important to determine the relative mask level to accurately measure thresholds in auditory brainstem response testing.

Q: How is masking in auditory brainstem response testing different from pure tone audiometry?

Masking in auditory brainstem response testing takes more time and requires a way to predict the masking level on the masking chart. This is because measuring thresholds in auditory brainstem response testing takes several minutes and jumping directly to the relative mask level is more efficient.

Q: How can the masking calculator be used in practice?

The masking calculator allows audiologists to determine the level of masking required in auditory brainstem response testing. By inputting specific information such as stimulus level, type of stimulus, and ear characteristics, the calculator provides the appropriate masking offset.

Key Insights:

• Cross hearing can affect the accuracy of auditory brainstem response testing and the use of masking helps mitigate this issue.
• In auditory brainstem response testing, the relative mask level is important to determine the point at which the non-test ear is completely masked.
• The masking calculator is a helpful tool in determining the appropriate level of masking in auditory brainstem response testing.
• The Eclipse system allows for easier implementation of masking in auditory brainstem response testing and provides additional features such as contralateral measurements and waveform analysis.
• Different types of evoked potentials, such as auditory steady-state response and cortical evoked potential, may require different masking procedures and calibration methods.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video provides an introduction to the physiological mechanisms of cross hearing and the need for masking.

• It explains how masking works in auditory brainstem response testing from a theoretical perspective and through a case study example.

• The video briefly mentions differences in procedures for other types of evoked potentials, such as the auditory steady-state response and cortical evoked potential.