Which test uses a tuning fork to assess lateralization of hearing?

Which test uses a tuning fork to assess lateralization of hearing?

• A. Rinne test
• B. Romberg test
• C. Whisper test
• D. Weber test

Answer: (D)

Lateralization of hearing using a tuning fork is what the Weber test is all about. In this test, you strike a tuning fork and place it on the middle of the forehead (the skull’s midline). If hearing is normal, the sound is heard equally in both ears. If there is conductive hearing loss in one ear, that ear will hear the sound louder because bone conduction is relatively preserved while conduction through the outer or middle ear is impaired. If there is sensorineural loss in one ear, the sound is heard louder in the opposite, normal ear. This pattern helps distinguish which type of hearing loss is present and which ear is affected. The other tests don’t perform this midline lateralization assessment with a tuning fork: the Rinne test compares air versus bone conduction in one ear, the whisper test uses spoken sounds, and the Romberg test checks balance, not hearing.

Lateralization of hearing using a tuning fork is what the Weber test is all about. In this test, you strike a tuning fork and place it on the middle of the forehead (the skull’s midline). If hearing is normal, the sound is heard equally in both ears. If there is conductive hearing loss in one ear, that ear will hear the sound louder because bone conduction is relatively preserved while conduction through the outer or middle ear is impaired. If there is sensorineural loss in one ear, the sound is heard louder in the opposite, normal ear. This pattern helps distinguish which type of hearing loss is present and which ear is affected. The other tests don’t perform this midline lateralization assessment with a tuning fork: the Rinne test compares air versus bone conduction in one ear, the whisper test uses spoken sounds, and the Romberg test checks balance, not hearing.