Auditory Development, Aging, Pathologies, and Aural Rehabilitation

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms from auditory development, aging, related pathologies, and aural rehabilitation concepts.

9 weeks gestation

Tympanic membrane formation (gestational timing)

10–12 weeks gestation.

Cochlea development

Fetal hearing threshold at 25 weeks

65 dB with a frequency range of 500–1000 Hz.

Adult hearing range

Approximately 20–20,000 Hz.

65 dB corresponds to

Background music or normal conversation level.

Fetal 25–26 weeks

Baby can respond to noise or voices in the womb.

32 weeks

Ossicles complete ossification by 32 weeks gestation.

Cochlea and CN VIII mature rapidly around 32 weeks.

Rapid maturation of cochlea and auditory nerve

30 weeks gestation.

Initial auditory response

~32 weeks.

Tympanic membrane adult-like

32–35 weeks

Inner, middle, and outer ear are fully formed.

Hearing threshold by 32–35 weeks

About 30 dB with increasing frequency range.

Leaves rustling/whispering

30 dB.

Motherese

High intonation, rhythmic, sing-song vocalization used with infants.

Term infants hearing threshold

approximately 20 dB.

Hearing range tested for term infants

500–4000 Hz

Presbycusis

Age-related hearing loss.

Conductive presbycusis

Hearing loss at outer or middle ear.

Sensorineural presbycusis

Hearing loss due to inner ear/nerve (CN VIII) changes.

Metabolic presbycusis

Deterioration of stria vascularis and CN VIII.

Stria vascularis

Cochlear structure maintaining endolymph ionic balance.

CN VIII

Vestibulocochlear nerve; carries auditory information to brain.

CEBA

Central effects of biological aging; age-related brain changes

Aural rehabilitation

Therapy to reduce or eliminate communication deficits from hearing loss.

Sensory management

Strategies to improve auditory function across outer, middle, and inner ear.

Instruction (in rehab)

Teaching what is going on with hearing and communication.

Perceptual training

Training to improve perception of auditory signals.

Counseling

Support for emotional and social aspects of hearing loss.

Amplification

Use of devices to increase audibility; typically early in rehab.

Goals of auditory training

Develop speech using auditory signals; optimize amplification; reduce reliance on visual cues.

Pragmatics

Language use in social context; includes Form, Content, and Use.

Final consonants

Consonants at syllable endings; often low in volume or high in pitch.

Unstressed sounds

Sounds that are not emphasized; can be difficult to hear.

Stress, rhythm, breath control, pitch

Prosodic features affecting auditory perception and speech fluency.

Auditory rehabilitation goals for language development

Expand vocabulary, syntax/pragmatics, narrative skills, and literacy.

Auditory rehabilitation goals for speech development

Increase vocalization, phonemic repertoire, and overall intelligibility.

Phonemic repertoire

The set of phonemes a person can produce and perceive.

Telegraphic speech

Speech that omits function words, focusing on content words.