Suppressiotesteillä

Suppressiotesteillä is a Finnish term that translates to "suppression tests" in English. These tests are a diagnostic tool used in audiology to assess the auditory system's ability to suppress or ignore unwanted sounds. In essence, they measure how well a person can focus on a specific sound while disregarding background noise.

The most common application of suppressiotesteillä is in the evaluation of hearing loss, particularly when determining the nature and extent of damage within the auditory pathway. By presenting different types of sounds and noise at varying intensities, audiologists can identify potential issues with the brain's ability to process and filter auditory information. This can be crucial in diagnosing conditions such as auditory processing disorder, where the individual can hear but struggles to interpret or understand speech in noisy environments.

Suppressiotesteillä can involve various procedures. One common method is to present a pure tone to one ear while introducing noise to the same ear. The patient's response indicates their ability to perceive the tone despite the masking sound. Another approach involves presenting speech stimuli to one ear and noise to the other, or simultaneously to both ears at different levels, to assess how well the brain can separate and understand the intended message. The results help in understanding the functional integrity of the auditory system beyond simple loudness perception.