Stenger test is used to detect:
A. Conductive hearing lossB. Sensorineural hearing loss
C. Mixed hearing loss
D. functional hearing loss
E. malingering
The
Answer is.D. functional hearing loss, E. malingering
Stenger test, teal test and Lombard test
are used to detect functional hearing loss.
Stengertest : a test for detecting
simulation of unilateral hearing impairment, in which a tone below the admitted
threshold is presented to the test ear and a tone of lesser intensity is
presented to the other ear. If the subject is feigning a hearing loss, the
lesser tone cannot be appreciated.
Tests for malingering:
ChimaniMooss test: This is nothing but a variation of Weber's
test. Normally in Weber's test the
patient hears the best in the occluded ear.
In malingering the patient will not accept to hear better in the
occluded ear.
Stenger's test: This test is based on "Stenger's
phenomenon". In stenger's
phenomenon when a listener is presented with the same type of sound in both
ears he /she will heara single sound, that too only in the ear which it is
louder.
Procedure:
Two tuning forks with frequency of 512 Hz are kept equidistantly from
both ears, one should be able to hear equally well in either side. In malingering say i.e. left ear, even if the
tuning fork is moved too close to the left ear, the patient denies that he is
hearing in the right side also.
Teal's test: In this test a vibrating tuning fork is
applied over the mastoid process of the so called deaf ear, the patient accepts
to hear it. Then the patient is blind
folded and with a non vibrating fork on the mastoid process, the malingering
patient claim's to hear the sound.
Lombard's test: This test is based on "Lombard's
principle". This principle says
that one raises his / her voice when speaking in noisy environment. While performing this test, the patient is
allowed to read a book. Noise is introduced into the ear. The noise is gradually increased till the
patient raises his / her voice or stops the process of reading.
Erhardt's
test: This test is also known as loud voice
test. In normal person when the ear is
occluded with a finger, it dampens the sound but it can still be heard. Malingerer often denies hearing the sound
even when it is loudest.
Stethoscope test: In this test, one ear piece of the
stethoscope is closed with wax and used on the side of deafness. The funnel shaped chest piece is used to talk
to the patient.
The malingerer gets confused and cannot
tell whether he is hearing on the right / left side.
