Abstract
Hyperacusis denotes increased sensitivity and unpleasant response to sounds at levels that would not disturb a normal individual. This auditory hypersensitivity may occur in patients with normal hearing. We analyzed 24 patients (eight male, sixteen female) who complained of hyperacusis in the absence of hearing disturbances. These patients underwent the SISI (short increment sensitivity index) test, MCL/UCL (most comfortable loudness level/uncomfortable loudness level) test, Bekesy audiometry, and Metz test, and the positivity rate of the recruitment phenomenon was examined. Despite normal hearing, 17 patients (71%) showed positive results in some of these tests. The positivity rates of the SISI test, MCL/UCL test, Bekesy audiometry and Metz test were 27%, 38%, 38% and 33%, respectively. Nine patients (37.5%) complained of unilateral hyperacusis and fifteen patients (62.5%) complained of bilateral hyperacusis. In the subjects with unilateral hyperacusis, the side showing positivity of the recruitment phenomenon did not completely correspond to the symptomatic side.
