Audiology PRAXIS UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Inverse Square Law - CORRECT ANSWER - as the distance from a sound source
doubles, the sound's intensity reduces by half the SPL when no obstruction is present (drop of 6
dB)
What is the relationship between fundamental frequencies and harmonics? - CORRECT
ANSWER - F0= lowest freq component of a complex periodic sound; harmonic is a
regular and repeating multiple of the f0
In which frequencies and at what intensities are most speech sounds produced? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 30-3000 Hz, 55-65 dB
Define threshold - CORRECT ANSWER - the faintest sound where hearing is audible
What is the relationship between sound pressure level (SPL) and hearing level (HL)? -
CORRECT ANSWER - SPL= used as output in transducers during audiometric testing
(calibrated in SPL)
HL= used on audiometer dial, normalized SPL scale to zero
--closest relationship in med freq and largest in low and high
Describe embryology and the development of the hearing and balance mechanisms - CORRECT
ANSWER - otic vesicle forms week 3, auditory placode turns into otic pit. week 4 brachial
arches form (tensor tympani, stapedius). Week 6 auricle forms from hillock, TM forms;
ossification of stapes occurs after birth
Normal processes of auditory behavior over the lifespan - CORRECT ANSWER - 27wks
utero: sound awareness
6 mo: babbling until now not affected
,Language and speech characteristics and development over the lifespan - CORRECT
ANSWER - 0-2 years: oral language and native sound system
2-3: produce speech in response to written marks made
3-6: intention, context, social
8: spelling, independence in reading
9: less attention to decoding for meaning
What are the effects of hearing loss on language and speech? - CORRECT ANSWER -
effect of perception (distortion, recruitment, temporal resolution), phonetic features (voicing
duration frication place)
What are the effects of hearing loss on educational, vocational, social, and psychological
functioning? - CORRECT ANSWER - employer resistance to hiring person with HL
(more likely to be unemployed), educational deficits with HL due to inability to understand
lecturer, social isolation and depression, lower education level, loneliness, stress, reduced
physical health
Describe the function of each of the three major parts of the hearing mechanism - CORRECT
ANSWER - outer ear: collects HF, increases sound pressure to EC, binaural summation,
localization
middle: ratio of malleus to incus, size difference of TM to oval window, impedance matching
inner: tonotopicity of BM and VIIIn; SOC localization and freq analysis; tectorial membrane
displacement, HC innervation
what is the function of hair cells (outer and inner)? - CORRECT ANSWER - IHC:
afferently innervated (95%)
OHC: efferently innervated
What are the fluids found in the labyrinths of the inner ear? - CORRECT ANSWER -
perilymph is in scala vestibili and tympani. endolymph in media.
Endolymph in semicircular canals.
, what impacts can hearing loss cause for learning in children? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Delay in speech and language, reduced academic achievement and vocabulary, social isolation
and poor self-concept, vocational choices
Describe the differences in speech and language development between pre- and post lingually
deafened children. - CORRECT ANSWER - pre lingual- deafened before they learn
speech
post lingua- deafened after they learn speech (about age 6)
-effects are not as severe for post lingually deafened children; need to implant/amplify
immediately for prelingual
What impacts can hearing loss cause for adults (ex: social isolation)? - CORRECT
ANSWER - fatigue, depression, social withdraw, impaired memory, reduced quality of
life, headaches, increased stress and blood pressure
Nongenetically caused congenital HL - CORRECT ANSWER - TORCH: toxoplasmosis,
rubella, CMV, herpes
CMV: intrauterine infection
viral exposure (syphilis, herpes simplex)
Genetically caused non syndromic HL - CORRECT ANSWER - connexin 26, connexin 30
genetically caused syndromic HL - CORRECT ANSWER - waardenburg (white forelock,
upturned nose, facial anomalies, congenital SNHL) Usher (vision loss, HL); pended (thyroid
goiter, EVA) jervell and lange-nielsen (profound HL, irregular heartbeat, fainting, sudden death)
What are the etiologies of hearing loss present at birth? - CORRECT ANSWER -
congenital (can be syndromic or nonsyndromic)
What are the types of presbycusis? What parts of the hearing system are implicated in the
different types and what are the effects on hearing? - CORRECT ANSWER - Schuknecht's
four types of presbycusis:
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Inverse Square Law - CORRECT ANSWER - as the distance from a sound source
doubles, the sound's intensity reduces by half the SPL when no obstruction is present (drop of 6
dB)
What is the relationship between fundamental frequencies and harmonics? - CORRECT
ANSWER - F0= lowest freq component of a complex periodic sound; harmonic is a
regular and repeating multiple of the f0
In which frequencies and at what intensities are most speech sounds produced? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 30-3000 Hz, 55-65 dB
Define threshold - CORRECT ANSWER - the faintest sound where hearing is audible
What is the relationship between sound pressure level (SPL) and hearing level (HL)? -
CORRECT ANSWER - SPL= used as output in transducers during audiometric testing
(calibrated in SPL)
HL= used on audiometer dial, normalized SPL scale to zero
--closest relationship in med freq and largest in low and high
Describe embryology and the development of the hearing and balance mechanisms - CORRECT
ANSWER - otic vesicle forms week 3, auditory placode turns into otic pit. week 4 brachial
arches form (tensor tympani, stapedius). Week 6 auricle forms from hillock, TM forms;
ossification of stapes occurs after birth
Normal processes of auditory behavior over the lifespan - CORRECT ANSWER - 27wks
utero: sound awareness
6 mo: babbling until now not affected
,Language and speech characteristics and development over the lifespan - CORRECT
ANSWER - 0-2 years: oral language and native sound system
2-3: produce speech in response to written marks made
3-6: intention, context, social
8: spelling, independence in reading
9: less attention to decoding for meaning
What are the effects of hearing loss on language and speech? - CORRECT ANSWER -
effect of perception (distortion, recruitment, temporal resolution), phonetic features (voicing
duration frication place)
What are the effects of hearing loss on educational, vocational, social, and psychological
functioning? - CORRECT ANSWER - employer resistance to hiring person with HL
(more likely to be unemployed), educational deficits with HL due to inability to understand
lecturer, social isolation and depression, lower education level, loneliness, stress, reduced
physical health
Describe the function of each of the three major parts of the hearing mechanism - CORRECT
ANSWER - outer ear: collects HF, increases sound pressure to EC, binaural summation,
localization
middle: ratio of malleus to incus, size difference of TM to oval window, impedance matching
inner: tonotopicity of BM and VIIIn; SOC localization and freq analysis; tectorial membrane
displacement, HC innervation
what is the function of hair cells (outer and inner)? - CORRECT ANSWER - IHC:
afferently innervated (95%)
OHC: efferently innervated
What are the fluids found in the labyrinths of the inner ear? - CORRECT ANSWER -
perilymph is in scala vestibili and tympani. endolymph in media.
Endolymph in semicircular canals.
, what impacts can hearing loss cause for learning in children? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Delay in speech and language, reduced academic achievement and vocabulary, social isolation
and poor self-concept, vocational choices
Describe the differences in speech and language development between pre- and post lingually
deafened children. - CORRECT ANSWER - pre lingual- deafened before they learn
speech
post lingua- deafened after they learn speech (about age 6)
-effects are not as severe for post lingually deafened children; need to implant/amplify
immediately for prelingual
What impacts can hearing loss cause for adults (ex: social isolation)? - CORRECT
ANSWER - fatigue, depression, social withdraw, impaired memory, reduced quality of
life, headaches, increased stress and blood pressure
Nongenetically caused congenital HL - CORRECT ANSWER - TORCH: toxoplasmosis,
rubella, CMV, herpes
CMV: intrauterine infection
viral exposure (syphilis, herpes simplex)
Genetically caused non syndromic HL - CORRECT ANSWER - connexin 26, connexin 30
genetically caused syndromic HL - CORRECT ANSWER - waardenburg (white forelock,
upturned nose, facial anomalies, congenital SNHL) Usher (vision loss, HL); pended (thyroid
goiter, EVA) jervell and lange-nielsen (profound HL, irregular heartbeat, fainting, sudden death)
What are the etiologies of hearing loss present at birth? - CORRECT ANSWER -
congenital (can be syndromic or nonsyndromic)
What are the types of presbycusis? What parts of the hearing system are implicated in the
different types and what are the effects on hearing? - CORRECT ANSWER - Schuknecht's
four types of presbycusis:
