Objective audiological diagnostics using novel acoustical and electrophysiological tests

In this thesis different acoustical and electrophysiological approaches for the objective audiological diagnostic are investigated. The utilized methods involve higher stages of the audiometric pathway and therefore allow the assessment of the state of hearing up to neural levels. It was shown that a different method to measure the acoustic reflex elicitation in conjunction with a new robust detection algorithm allows a significantly reduced stimulus level and higher detection rates compared to the established method. The same method was used to correlate reflex thresholds with the loss of cochlear compression that results from sensorineural hearing loss thus offering an objective method to estimate the broadband hearing threshold. Yet another method connects objective measurements of amplitude modulation following responses (AMFR) with differences in modulation depths perception due to cochlear damage.