Normal reference values for the discomfort level test for the sensation of intensity: preliminary results

Authors

  • Keila Alessandra Baraldi Knobel Facultad de Medicina de la Universidade de São Paulo, Saõ Paulo, Brasil
  • Tanit Ganz Sanchez Facultad de Medicina de la Universidade de São Paulo, Saõ Paulo, Brasil
  • Leopoldo Nizan Pfeilsticker Universidade Estadual de Campinao, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil
  • Guita Stoller Universidade Estadual de Campinao, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51445/sja.auditio.vol1.2002.0016

Keywords:

discomfort level, normal hearing, auditory hypersensitivity, tinnitus

Abstract

The Level of Discomfort for the Sensation of Intensity (LDL - Loudness Disconfort Level) is an audiological test used for the selection of the saturation level of hearing aids, and more recently also indicated for the auditory evaluation of people with tinnitus and hearing hypersensitivity. We believe that it is necessary to investigate and determine normal reference values ​​for LDL in individuals without hearing loss, since auditory hypersensitivity can occur in individuals with normal hearing thresholds. The levels of discomfort for the frequencies 0.5 to 8 KHz in the two ears were investigated in a test and retest situation in 51 individuals between 18 and 25 years of age and with normal hearing. The median for all frequencies ranged between 92.5 and 100 dBNA, with no differences between the ears. This test showed high inter-subject variability and high consistency between test and retest. We conclude that LDL can be a good instrument to evaluate the evolution of patients with auditory hypersensitivity.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

        Visibility and Altmetrics

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Hood JD y Poole JP. (1966). Tolerable Limits of Loudness: Its Clinical and Physiological Significance. J Acoust Soc Am, 40(1):47-53.

https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1910062

Dix MR. (1968). Loudness recruitment and its measurement with special reference to the loudness disconfort level test and its value in diagnosis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 77(6): 1131-51.

https://doi.org/10.1177/000348946807700611

Stephens SDG y Anderson CMB. (1971). Experimental Studies on the uncomfortable loudness level. J Speech Hear Res, 14: 262-270. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.1402.262

Niemeyer W. (1971). Relations between the disconfort level and the reflex threshold of the middle ear muscles. Audiology, 10: 172-176. https://doi.org/10.3109/00206097109072555

Mueller HG y Bright KE. (1994). Selection and verification of maximum output. In: Valente M, ed. Strategies for selecting and verifying hearing aid fittings. Thieme Medical Publishers: New York, pp. 38-63.

Bernal-Zafra, S. (2002). Valoración física, funcional y audiologica del anciano para proceder a la adaptación protésica [en linea]. Auditio: Revista electrónica de audiología. 2(1): 30-33 https://doi.org/10.51445/sja.auditio.vol1.2002.0013

Henry JA, Meikle MB. (2000). Psychoacoustic Measures of Tinnitus. J. Am. Acad. Audiol, 11(3): 138-155.

American Academy of Audiology. Audiologic Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Tinnitus Patients (https://www.audiology.org/publications-resources/document-library/audiologic-guidelines-diagnosis-management-tinnitus-patients) Acceso: 19/02/2021

Jastreboff PJ y Jastreboff MM. (2001). First Brazilian Course on Tinnitus Retraining Course for Management of Tinnitus and Hyperacusis. São Paulo: Fundação Otorrinolaringologia, 91 pp. (unpublished).

Hall J y Muller G. (1998). Tinnitus and Hyperacusis. In: Audiolologist's Desk Reference. Singular Publishing Group, Inc.: London: v. 2., 1998, pp. 643-658.

Jastreboff PJ, Sheldrake JB, Jastreboff MM. (1999). Audiometrical characterization of hyperacusis patients before and during TRT. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Tinnitus Seminar. Cambrige (UK), pp. 297-301.

Sanchez TG, Pedalini MEB, Bento RF. (1999). Hiperacusia: Artigo de Revisão. Arq. Fund. Otorrinol. 3 (4):184-193.

Gold DL, Formby C, Frederic EA, Suter C. (2002). Shifts in loudness disconfort level in patients with and without hyperacusis. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Tinnitus Seminar. Fremantle, pp. 170-172.

Knobel KAB y Sanchez TG. (2002) Atuação dos Fonoaudiólogos do Estado de São Paulo na Avaliação de Pacientes com Queixa de Zumbido e/ou Hipersensibilidade a Sons. Pró-Fono, 14(2):215-224.

Anari M, Axelsson A, Eliasson A, Magnusson L. (1999). Hypersensitivity to sound: Questionnaier data, audiometry and classification. Scand Audiolo 1999; 28: 219-230. https://doi.org/10.1080/010503999424653

Portada Auditio; logotipo es una oreja azul, auditio en minusculas

Published

2002-10-01 — Updated on 2021-09-15

Versions

How to Cite

Baraldi Knobel, K. A., Ganz Sanchez, T., Nizan Pfeilsticker, L., & Stoller, G. (2021). Normal reference values for the discomfort level test for the sensation of intensity: preliminary results. Auditio, 1(3), 37–40. https://doi.org/10.51445/sja.auditio.vol1.2002.0016 (Original work published October 1, 2002)

Issue

Section

e-journal of audiology (archive before 2021 only in Spanish)

Most read articles by the same author(s)