What does air conduction testing assess?

Air conduction testing primarily assesses the ability of sound to travel through the external ear, middle ear, and inner ear before reaching the auditory nerve. This process evaluates how well the entire auditory system functions in transmitting sound from the environment to the brain. By using headphones or speakers to deliver sounds directly to the ear, air conduction testing allows audiologists to gauge the sensitivity of hearing via the outer ear pathway.

In contrast, other choices focus on different aspects of auditory and vestibular function. For example, balance and spatial orientation refer to vestibular function, which is assessed through different tests aimed at understanding balance rather than auditory sensitivity. Hearing proficiency through bone pathways pertains to bone conduction testing, which assesses hearing through direct stimulation of the cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear. Lastly, peripheral nerve function is not specific to hearing assessments but relates more broadly to the functionality of the nervous system, including but not limited to auditory nerves.

Thus, air conduction testing is uniquely suited to measuring hearing through the ear using external acoustic pathways, making it the correct choice in this context.