Extended High-frequency Audiometry in the Elderly: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Extended high-frequency audiometry (HFA) is considered an important tool in the detection of hearing loss. However, the values at extended high frequencies (EHF) in older adults (in both men and women) are associated with considerable uncertainty due to limited reference data. The presented review aimed to analyze hearing thresholds at EHF in adults older than 60 years. A literature search for HFA-related keyword combinations was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. A total of 1654 records, published in the last 22 years, were identified through this search, of which only 7 articles were ultimately included in the analysis. Multiple studies have shown that significant hearing loss can be observed at EHF in older adults. Hearing thresholds in the frequency range of 9-20 kHz in the elderly varied widely across the studies. Therefore, further research in this field is needed to complete the normative data.

Figure 1.

The flow diagram.

Figure 2.

Hearing thresholds audiogram for men and women in age categories of 60-70 years and >70 years, (¹A=Hearing thresholds at EHF in men aged 60-70 years across the studies; ²B=Hearing thresholds at EHF in men aged >70 years across the studies; ³C=Hearing thresholds at EHF in women aged 60-70 years across the studies; ⁴D=Hearing thresholds at EHF in women aged >70 years across the studies).