A Comparison of Pure-Tone Thresholds as Measured by Delayed Feedback Audiometry, Electrodermal Response Audiometry, and Voluntary Response Audiometry

Abstract

One hundred unselected patients seen for medical-legal evaluation were tested for pure-tone thresholds by delayed feedback audiometry (DFA), electrodermal response audiometry (EDRA), and voluntary response audiometry (VRA). The EDRA method was successful in 73% of the patients while the DFA method was successful in 88% of the patients. Eighty-six percent of the DFA thresholds obtained were within 10 dB of the patients' VRA thresholds. When both DFA and EDRA were successful, 88% of the DFA thresholds were within 10 dB of the EDRA thresholds. Ninety-six percent of the EDRA thresholds obtained were within 10 dB of the patients' VRA thresholds. Although DFA is not as precise in predicting threshold as is EDRA, it is successful in a significantly greater number of patients than is EDRA and is a useful clinical tool in medical-legal evaluation for hearing loss.