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Audiological test protocols were devised for use in patients suspected of having a cerebellopontine angle tumor. Data supporting the logic for inclusion of each test are presented. Protocol design was based on test results obtained in 45 tumor and 554 non-tumor patients. In summary, we found: 1) speech-in-noise results were of some value in those patients with normal hearing and of no value in those patients with hearing loss, 2) the acoustic reflex test gave misleading information in 25% of patients, and 3) the ABR test proved to be the most effective test in separating tumor and non-tumor patients. All individuals having cerebellopontine angle tumors and 11% of those without such lesions had abnormal ABR results in this series.

Overestimation of hearing loss is a significant problem in the assessment of workers exposed to industrial noise. Audiometric and epidemiologic aspects of this problem are examined in 2,528 compensation claimants. Electric Response Audiometry (ERA) using the cortical Slow Vertex Response (SVR) is accurate and very useful for quantification of true hearing levels. Based on this technique, 8% of claimants were shown to have volunteered excessively high behavioral thresholds. Using the term "exaggerated hearing loss" (EHL) as an umbrella for this phenomenon, true thresholds of EHL and non-EHL groups were identical. Several demographic and occupational factors appear to be associated with EHL. The performance of various audiometric rules for EHL prediction was highly dependent on the criteria adopted; all rules were better than chance, though none was impressive. Clinical acumen and ERA both play a vital part in accurate assessment of the compensation claimant.