David J. Rothman, MA CCC-A
MAJ Albert H. Gass, MS CCC
Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
False claims of hearing loss (pseudohypacusis) by Active Duty soldiers affect unit readiness and deployability. Since Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) are sensitive to cochlear site of lesion and the overwhelming majority of service related hearing loss is due to cochlear damage, DPOAE should be an ideal objective test for distinguishing sensory hearing loss from pseudohypacusis. At Fort Bragg, we have validated the use of DPOAE as a part of an objective audiologic test battery to distinguish pseudohypacusis from hearing loss due to organic site of lesion. This test battery consists of tympanometry, acoustic reflex, acoustic reflex decay, and DPOAE in addition to comprehensive behavioral audiometric evaluation. Three patients, out of more than 100, presented with behavioral hearing loss and normal DPOAE results. Auditory Brainstem Response confirmed that hearing loss was not due to organic site of lesion in each case.