Chapter 11: Masking

Question 1 of 45

1. Question

Masking is defined as an acoustical technique which allows the specialist to test the better ear while sending noise to the poorer hearing ear.

A. True.
B. False.

Question 2 of 45

2. Question

Masking is made difficult-to-impossible when the specialist:

A. Overmasks.
B. Undermasks.
C. Does not prepare the patient for the possibility that sounds just might be heard by the opposite ear.
D. All of the above.
E. A.
F. A and B.

Question 3 of 45

3. Question

The type of noise or signal used in masking is _____.

A. White noise.
B. Wide band noise.
C. Pure tones.
D. Low tones.
E. Narrow band noise.

Question 4 of 45

4. Question

You never ask the patient whether he or she has a better ear.

A. True.
B. False.

Question 5 of 45

5. Question

One way to easily determine whether the patient has a better ear is to _____.

A. Notice a turning of one ear toward a speaker.
B. Ask which ear the patient uses to talk on the phone.
C. Ask the patient.
D. Test the patient.
E. All of the above.
F. A, B, and C.

Question 6 of 45

6. Question

Interaural attenuation is defined as the reduction in intensity, at one ear, of an acoustic stimulus presented to the other ear canal as the sound is transmitted through the head.

A. True.
B. False.
C. Not enough information.

Question 7 of 45

7. Question

For air conduction, the reduction (attenuation) is approximately 40 dB.

A. True.
B. False. It is 60.
C. False. It is 50.
D. False. It is 0.

Question 8 of 45

8. Question

For bone conduction, the attenuation is accepted as between 0 dB and 10 dB.

A. True.
B. True, but it is usually 0.
C. False.
D. False. It is usually 40.
E. False. It is usually 70.

Question 9 of 45

9. Question

Crossover occurs when the sound presented to one ear crosses over to the other ear and is heard at the NTE (non-test-ear).

A. True.
B. False.

Question 10 of 45

10. Question

If you do not prepare the patient for the possibility of masking, _____.

A. The patient may offer false positive indications when crossover does occur.
B. The patient will notice anyway.
C. The test will be worthless.
D. You will find out eventually.
F. A and B.

Question 11 of 45

11. Question

Regarding the occlusion effect, you send sounds generated by AC as you also test that ear, and determine occlusion in the other ear.

A. True.
B. False

Question 12 of 45

12. Question

Below _____ Hz, when the outer ear of the test ear (TE) is occluded by a headset, BC is in a more/less sensitive state.

A. 1000 Hz/less
B. 1000 Hz/more.
C. 2000 Hz/less.
D. 2000 Hz/more.

Question 13 of 45

13. Question

Following up, this is why you place the TE AC headphone well above and behind the test ear.

A. True.
B. True. Otherwise, you will receive false positive responses.
C. False.

Question 14 of 45

14. Question

You elimiate occlusion by:

A. Only occluding the NTE with your headset.
B. You add 15 dB to the beginning masking level by AC in the NTE at 250 and 500 Hz, and 10 dB at 1000 Hz if you test those freq’s.
C. A and B.
D. A.
E. B.

Question 15 of 45

15. Question

Central masking is a phenomenon whereby:

A. The CSC produces masking.
B. The CNS produces sounds that can increase a masked score by up to 15 dB.
C. The CNS produces sounds that can increase a masked score by up to 35 dB.

Question 16 of 45

16. Question

You can compensate for central masking by _____.

A. Increasing the signal by 15 dB.
B. Adding 15 dB to all audiogram postings.
C. Averaging all masking scores.
D. You can't compensate for it.

Question 17 of 45

17. Question

IA through headsets = _____ dB.

A. 0.
B. 15.
C. 30.
D. 40
E. 70

Question 18 of 45

18. Question

IA [speech] through headsets = _____.

A. 0.
B. 15.
C. 40.
D. 70.
E. You don't test for speech in this procedure.

Question 19 of 45

19. Question

IA [BC] = _____.

A. 0.
B. 15.
C. 40.
D. 70.
E. You don't test with BC in this procedure.

Question 20 of 45

20. Question

When you discover that you need to mask, you must know the threshold of the _____ ear.

A. Poorer.
B. Better.
C. Neither.

Question 21 of 45

21. Question

When you discover you have to mask, the ear you are trying to determine the threshold for is the _____ ear.

A. Better.
B. Poorer.
C. Both.

Question 22 of 45

22. Question

When you start searching for the effective masking plateau, some texts recommend that you add _____ dB to the AC threshold of the better ear to make sure the starting level of masking is more _____.

A. 0/effective.
B. 10/effective.
C. 20/audible.
D. 10/audible.

Question 23 of 45

23. Question

When you take your very first masking step, it is probably _____.

A. Inaudible.
B. Undermasking.
C. Effective.
D. Overmasking.

Question 24 of 45

24. Question

Due to IA, the final masking level will be within _____ dB from the positive response of the TE.

A. Don't know the final level.
B. 0.
C. 15.
D. 40.
E. 70.

Question 25 of 45

25. Question

If you do not present enough NBN intensity, what phenomenon can occur?

A. Interaural attenuation.
B. Cross masking.
C. Inter-masking.
D. Cross testing.
E. Crossover.

Question 26 of 45

26. Question

To obtain a true threshold, a 15 to 20 dB increase in masking noise while simultaneously recording the same threshold in TE, is required. This allows and compensates for an actual IA different than 40 dB.

A. True.
B. False.

Question 27 of 45

27. Question

You set your masking level for the NTE at the PT threshold plus 10 dB. The next step is to _____.

A. Test the poorer ear.
B. Use the 10 down/5 up procedure until you find the threshold.
C. Neither.

Question 28 of 45

28. Question

Once you reach the threshold, you increse the masking noise on the NTE by _____ dBs, and test again. When you have increased the masking noise by _____ dBs in total without a change in the threshold of the poorer ear, you have reached the threshold.

A. 10/30.
B. 15/45.
C. 5/15.
D. 5/25.

Question 29 of 45

29. Question

Following up, this means that you increase masking at the suspected effective masking threshold in at least _____ steps without a change in the threshold response.

A. 2.
B. 3.
C. 4.
D. 5.

Question 30 of 45

30. Question

Using too much masking noise can _____.

A. Not do any harm to the patient.
B. Frustrate and annoy the patient.
C. Cross over and mask the TE tone, falsely increasing the threshold.
D. B and C.

Question 31 of 45

31. Question

Maximum masking is reached when MM = BC + _____ dB.

A. 0.
B. 15.
C. 35.
D. 45.
E. 75.

Question 32 of 45

32. Question

When both ears have an AB [air-bone] gap of at least 40 dB, you have a _____.

A. Mixed HL.
B. Conductive HL.
C. Otosclerosis.
D. Infected tympanic membrane.
E. Masking dilemma.

Question 33 of 45

33. Question

The answer to a masking dilemma is for you to _____.

A. Get a medical waiver signature and fit with hearing instruments.
B. Re-test with more masking noise.
C. Fit the better ear.
D. Fit the poorer ear.
E. Refer to an ENT.

Question 34 of 45

34. Question

Even if the patient does not give positive indications of crossover, the rule of thumb for conducting a masking procedure is to do so when the AC thresholds are _____ dB apart.

A. 0.
B. 15.
C. 20.
D. 30.
E. 40.

Question 35 of 45

35. Question

It is more accurate to leave the NBN on all the time while masking.

A. True.
B. False.

Question 36 of 45

36. Question

According to Hood, increase the NBN in 10 dB steps if the tone is heard.

A. True.
B. False.

Question 37 of 45

37. Question

Or, follwing with the previous question, you increase the pure tone in _____ dB steps if the tone does not elicit a response from the patient.

A. 5.
B. 10.
C. 15
D. 20
E. 25

Question 38 of 45

38. Question

Then, you stop when the threshold is found when you have _____ consecutive responses with a 15 dB increase in NBN.

A. 1.
B. 2.
C. 3.
D. 4.
E. 5.

Question 39 of 45

39. Question

BC masking is required when the ABG [air-bone gap] is equal to or greater than _____ in that ear.

A. 5.
B. 10.
C. 15.
D. 20.
E. 40.

Question 40 of 45

40. Question

The only unique difference between AC Masking and BC Masking is that when you test at 250, 500, and 1000 Hz, you add _____, _____, and _____ dB respectively to compensate for occlusion.

A. 5, 10, 15.
B. 15, 10, 5.
C. 15, 15, 10.
D. 25, 20, 15.

Question 41 of 45

41. Question

The final masking level in the BC procedure will equal the BC of the TE plus _____ dB.

A. 15.
B. 25.
C. 35.
D. 45.
E. 55.

Question 42 of 45

42. Question

The only different element in SRT Masking compared to AC masking is that you substitute _____ for _____.

A. Easy words/1000 Hz tones.
B. SRT words/bone conduction tones.
C. WDS words/pure tones.
D. SRT word/pure tones.

Question 43 of 45

43. Question

You also use plateaus in SDS masking procedures.

A. True.
B. False.

Question 44 of 45

44. Question

SDS masking levels are the _____ minus _____.

A. UCL/35 dB.
B. MCL/35 dB.
C. UCL/40 dB.
D. MCL/40 dB.

Question 45 of 45

45. Question

The key to learning effective masking is to _____.

A. Review until you know you have memorized the procedures.
B. Practice.
C. Practice.
D. Practice.
E. All of the above.