Glossary of Operational Terms
Afferent-efferent neurological system Refers to the
neural pathways that carry auditory information from the
ear (periphery) to the brain (afferent) and from the
brain back to the periphery (efferent). Allows auditory
adaptation and selective listening ability in human
hearing.
Apraxia A condition involving difficulty in using a part
or parts of the body resulting from damage to one or
both hemispheres of the brain.
Attitudinal phonemic malingering Type of so-called
“malingering” where attitude, mood, and circumstances
cause one to have temporary difficulty in speech
understanding out of proportion to the degree or type of
hearing loss.
Auditory adaptation The ability of the human auditory
system to adapt to changing acoustic environments
without a precise correlative response, e.g. adapting to
noise, then to quiet, etc.
Central auditory processing The processing of acoustic
signals received by way of the peripheral hearing system
in the central nervous system and the brain.
Comparative speech discrimination tests Refers to the
process of comparing speech discrimination scores of the
two ears to detect significant discrimination
abnormalities relative to the type and degree of hearing
loss, the evidence of which may indicate central
auditory lessons.
Critical bandwidth distortion Refers to the loss of
ability to distinguish either the center frequency of a
critical bandwidth or an entire critical bandwidth from
another in the human auditory system. Generally
associated with presbycusis, but also many other
degenerative conditions.
Defensive posturing The attitudinal process through
which a hearing impaired person intuitively responds to
their psychosocial environment.
Difference Limens (DLs) Refers to the just noticable
difference (ind) that is perceived by the subject in
distinguishing intensity or frequency changes. Measured
in dB or Hz.
Diplacusis A phenomena caused by critical bandwidth
distortions where a given stimulus is heard differently
in one ear from the other. Binaural diplacusis referes
to bilaterally distorted signal reception.
Epithelial atrophy The degerative chances of the
cellular tissues within the cochlea, starting at the
base and progressing to the apex. May apply to other
parts of the body, also. Associated with presbycusis,
diabetes, and other degerative conditions.
Fourier analysis A method of analyzing complex tones
into the corresponding subcomponents of pure-tones,
named after French physicist Jean Baptiste Joseph
Fourier. Specifically applies to acoustic measurement
calculations and its use in electroacoustic analysis
equipment.
Habilitation Education and counseling activities of the
congenitally hearing impaired person, including
applicable compensatory methods, amplification, and
therapy.
Hemiplegia A condition associated with (ipsalateral)
hemispheric paralysis or lesion. Victim is known as
hemiplegic.
Horizontal sensitivity The author’s reference to
critical bandwidth sensitivity relative to the
horizontal (frequency) characteristics of the audiogram.
Hyper-rationalization An obsessive defense mechanism
developed by the hearing impaired person to justify
their every word and action in social relationships.
Lowered self-esteem Refers to the psychosocial condition
of self depreciation that is experienced by the hearing
impaired individual as a result of their hearing loss.
Nuances of speech The subtle, underlying stresses on
speech that are more readily perceived by the
subconscious or aesthetic hemisphere (usually the right
side) of the brain. Sometimes referred to as non-verbal
messages in speech.
Ototoxicity Damage or deterioration of the hearing
system resulting from toxic reaction to medication or
other substances.
Peripheral A broad term that applies to any related
aspect away from the center of a given entity. In human
hearing applies to the outer, middle and inner ear
mechanisms.
Play audiometry Specially devised audiological
techniques for the testing of very young children.
Psuedohypacisis Clinical term for feigned hearing loss.
Psychoacoustics The study of psychological perceptions
and accoustics as it pertains to human hearing.
Psychogenic interpretation A purely psychological
perception of a given sound stimulus. Often applies to
the three levels of hearing (Ramsdell): symbolic,
signal, and primitive perception levels.
Psychophysical considerations Considerations
attributable to the physical characteristics of the
human hearing system as they are perceived
psychologically; i.e., the psychological effects of
coupling hearing instrumentation to the ear.
Rehabilitation The education and counseling activities
of those with acquired hearing loss, including
applicable compensatory methods, amplification, and
therapy.
Residual Inhibition The cessation or lessening of
tinnitus after a stimulus such as masking of amplified
signals is stopped. Usually is referred to in terms of
level of decrease over an associated time period after
the stimulus.
Site of lesion The precise location of a breakdown in
the impaired human auditory system, i.e., the various
parts of the ear in which a lesion exists.
Social paranoia A hearing impaired person’s attitudes,
actions, and emotional responses relative to suspicion,
distrust, or paranoia which is caused or influenced by
the state of hearing impairment.
Suprathreshold sensitivity The sensation levels, or an
individual’s difference limens, above threshold of the
human auditory system, especially at the point
immediately above threshold.
Temporal Summation or integration The comparison of time
thresholds and audibility sensation variations of the
human hearing system, a part of the study of
psychoacoustics.
Timbre Tonal characteristics of a given fundamental
derived by its harmonics and overtones.
Transparent hearing A term coined by several
audiological researchers to describe the ideal state of
applied amplification to the human auditory system.
Represents the sensation of high fidelity or natural
hearing.
Tympanosclerosis The degeneration of connective tissue
of the tympanic membrane, appearing as chalky plaques of
calcification in otoscoptic examinations.
Vertical sensitivity The author’s reference to the
psychoacoustical perception of intensity as it relates
to the vertical (decibel) characteristics of the
audiogram.
Visual evoked response Visually detected body responses
of the subject picked up by the evaluator during a
hearing evaluation; i.e. subconscious eye or hand
movements when a test stimulus is given. |
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