Title: Unit I - The Human Ear: IHS Distance Learning Course Test Questions
Course: 14SU-HIS-270-G101-CLINICAL PRACTICUM II > Section: Resources

IHS test questions from the Distance Learning Course.

Q: The adult ear canal:
- is usually straight
- curves like a vertical figure "S"
- rises upward and forward, then descends to the drum
- descends downward, then backward toward the drum
A: rises upward and forward, then descends to the drum

Q: The isthmus is:
- another name for aperture
- located at the second bend of the canal
- where the canal narrows to enter the temporal bone
- the area between the first and second bend
A: where the canal narrows to enter the temporal bone

Q: The pinna and the external canal together:
- gather and reinforce acoustical signals
- with the irregular shape of the auricle, cause increases and decreases at different frequencies as the sound arrives at the ear
- forms a resonating tube
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: The average resonant frequency of the ear cacal plus concha is:
- 1500hz
- 2700hz
- 3500hz
- 1000hz
A: 2700hz

Q: The dividing line between the external ear and the middle ear is the:
- malleus
- eustachian tube
- oval window
- tympanic membrane
A: tympanic membrane

Q: The ear canal contains:
- cilia, ceruminous glands, sebaceous glands
- ceruminous glands, pinna, scaffoid fossa
- umbo, isthmus, sebaceous glands
- crus, apecture, sebaceous glands
A: cilia, ceruminous glands, sebaceous glands

Q: The Vagus Nerve (Xth Cranial) is found:
- along the bottom of the tympanic membrane
- along the bottom of the ear canal
- along the bottom of the intertragal notch
- at the bottom of the isthmus
A: along the bottom of the ear canal

Q: Which of the follow terms is not part of the tympanic membrane?
- pars tensa
- crus
- pars flaccida
- umbo
A: crus

Q: An otoscopic inspection should reveal:
- an external auditory canal sloping upward and backward
- no vision of any ossicles
- a clear view of the Vagus Nerve (Xth Cranial)
- a view of the pearly white tympanic membrane
A: a view of the pearly white tympanic membrane

Q: Which of the following is a part of the pinna?
- tragus
- intertragal notch
- triangular fossa
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: Atresia refers to:
- an active, draining ear
- a swollen and itching condition of the external ear canal
- a closure of the external auditory canal
- impacted wax
A: a closure of the external auditory canal

Q: Perforation of the eardrum can be caused by:
- an infection
- a fracture of the temporal bone
- a nearby explosion
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: The following are types of hearing loss:
- conductive
- central
- sensorineural
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: Conductive losses may be caused by:
- a prolapsed canal
- impacted cerumen
- damaged hair cells
- (1) and (2) above
A: (1) and (2) above

Q: Which surgical technique repairs the tympanic membrane?
- cholesteaplasty
- lobectomy
- myringoplasty
- tympanosclerosis
A: myringoplasty

Q: A cholesteatoma can be described as:
- a pouch of skin filled with epithelial debris
- an excess of dry, brown cerumen
- an inflammation of the walls of the ear canal
- none of the above
A: a pouch of skin filled with epithelial debris

Q: When an excess of cerumen of a blockage of cerumen is detected, the hearing aid specialist should:
- proceed with ear impression
- refer the patient to a physician
- proceed with testing procedures
- remove cerumen with a Q-tip
A: refer the patient to a physician

Q: A swollen ear may be caused by:
- eczema
- otitis externa
- dermatitis
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: Tympanosclerosis may be described as:
- external perforation
- monomeric spots
- calcium deposits
- an odorous epithelial sac
A: calcium deposits

Q: A tympanic membrane perforation may cause a:
- mixed loss
- sensorineural loss
- conductive loss
- central loss
A: conductive loss

Q: Theoretically, the increase in sound pressure provided by the middle ear structure is about:
- 12dB
- 15dB
- 27dB
- none of the above
A: 27dB

Q: The footplate of the stapes fits into the:
- incus
- oval window
- round window
- incudostapedial junction
A: oval window

Q: A type 'A' typanogram would indicate:
- possible ossicular discontinuity
- chronic otitis media
- mandatory referral
- normal pressure and compliance
A: normal pressure and compliance

Q: The difference in area size between the tympanic membrane and the footplate of the stapes increasing the sound pressure at the footplate is:
- the transfer function or aerial ratio
- hydraulic energy
- impedance
- static compliance
A: the transfer function or aerial ratio

Q: The middle ear cavity contains:
- anvil, stapes and cartilage
- stapedius, inus, eustachian tube and isthmus
- annular ligament, malleus, stapes and tensor tympani
- incudostapedial junction, vagus nerve, stapedius and malleus
A: annular ligament, malleus, stapes and tensor tympani

Q: The middle ear system is often referred to as:
- an impedance matching transformer
- attenuation method
- stapedial acoustic reflex
- fundamental transformer
A: an impedance matching transformer

Q: The middle ear cavity, as a transducer, changes energy from one form to another. The energy change is from:
- mechanical energy to acoustic energy
- acoustic energy to mechanical energy to hydraulic energy
- acoustic energy to electrical energy to hydraulic energy
- mechanical energy to hydraulic energy to electrical energy
A: acoustic energy to mechanical energy to hydraulic energy

Q: The middle ear muscles contract, resulting in:
- an acoustic reflex
- ossicular discontinuity
- increase in mechanical energy
- none of the above
A: an acoustic reflex

Q: The eustachian tube begins in the lower portion of the tympanic cavity and ends at the:
- helicotrema
- promontory
- incostapedial joint
- nasopharynx
A: nasopharynx

Q: The eustachian tube of a child is:
- straight
- short
- horizontal
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: A cholesteatoma:
- occurs in the middle ear
- may perforate the eardrum
- is usually accompanied by a constant odorous discharge
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: Changes in either stiffness or mass occur when the normal ear function is altered by disease or trauma causing:
- a swelling and/or redness in the external canal
- a feeling of stiffness or a complaint of hearing in a barrel
- a feeling of itching deep within the ear
- a decrease in acoustic feedback
A: a feeling of stiffness or a complaint of hearing in a barrel

Q: Otosclerosis:
- occurs more often in women than men
- occurs more often in Caucasians than other races
- appears to be inherited
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: Most dysfunctions of the outer or middle ear cause a:
- mixed loss
- conductive loss
- sensory loss
- neural loss
A: conductive loss

Q: Otitis media may occur with:
- spongy changes in the bony capsule
- fluid in the middle ear
- osteoarthritis
- tinnitus
A: fluid in the middle ear

Q: A plastic or steel strut replaces the stapes during a:
- stapedectomy
- stapes mobilization
- fenestration
- none of the above
A: stapedectomy

Q: Treatment for chronic otitis media may include:
- antibiotics
- inflation of the eustachian tube
- myringoplasty
- all of the above
A: antibiotics

Q: A radical mastoidectomy includes removal of:
- malleus, incus and tympanic membrane
- tympanic membrane, malleus and eustachian tube
- ossicular chain and eustachian tube
- ossicular chain, mastoid
A: ossicular chain, mastoid

Q: The ossicular chain is supported and suspended by:
- muscles only
- ligaments, stapedius and promontory
- stapedius, tensor tympani and ligaments
- anvil, stapedius and ligaments
A: stapedius, tensor tympani and ligaments

Q: The ear, due to its physical characteristics, enhances which frequencies?
- 250 - 1,000 Hz
- 2,000 - 5,000 Hz
- 1,000 - 2,000 Hz
- 4,000 - 6,000 Hz
A: 2,000 - 5,000 Hz

Q: In a cross section of the cochlea, the minimum number of rows of hair cells you can see is:
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
A: 4

Q: The total number of neural fibers or neurons in the human auditory nerve is about:
- 10,000
- 20,000
- 30,000
- 40,000
A: 30,000

Q: The basilar membrane separates:
- the scala media and the scala vestibuli
- the scala vestibuli and the scala tympani
- the scala media and the scala tympani
- the scala tympani and the semicircular canals
A: the scala media and the scala tympani

Q: The scala tympani is filled with:
- strialymph
- perilymph
- endolymph
- cortilymph
A: perilymph

Q: The base of the cochlea:
- begins at the oval window
- is at the inner tip
- consists of low frequency sounds
- is wider than the apex
A: begins at the oval window

Q: The fibers of the auditory nerve, at the point of maximum stimulation of the basilar membrane, discharge and recover at a rate of approximately:
- up to 1Khz identical to the stimulus frequency
- 3,000 times or cycles/sec
- 500 times of cycles/sec
- 250 times or cycles/sec
A: up to 1Khz identical to the stimulus frequency

Q: The cochlea, acting as a frequency analyzer, distributes acoustic stimuli to places along the basilar membranes according to frequency. This forms the basis of a hypothesis called the:
- critical band theory
- square wave theory
- Place Theory
- Fourier Theory
A: Place Theory

Q: Each of the semicircular canals:
- are oriented at 90 degrees to one another
- contain perilymph and endolymph
- detect positioning and balance
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: Collections of nerve fibers are called:
- ganglia and synapses
- membrane and nuclei
- ganglia and nuclei
- ganglia and coretx
A: ganglia and nuclei

Q: Afferent fibers:
- transmit from the cochlea to the brain
- transmit from the brain to the cochlea
- transmit from the middle ear to the cochlea
- transmit from the tympanum to the brain
A: transmit from the cochlea to the brain

Q: Which of the following is a result of tissue and structure damage?
- a threshold shift
- distortion of perception of frequencies
- disturbance of perception of loudness
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: A sensorineural hearing loss is due to a disorder in the:
- eustachian tube
- middle ear
- inner ear
- ossicles
A: inner ear

Q: A symptom of recruitment is:
- tinnitus
- vertigo
- presbycusis
- intolerance for loud sounds
A: intolerance for loud sounds

Q: Malingering is a category of:
- presbycusis
- tinnitus
- non-organic loss
- sensorineural loss
A: non-organic loss

Q: Meniere's syndrom consists of:
- presbycusis and tinnitus
- noise trauma and vertigo
- tinnitus, vertigo, and hearing loss
- central deafness, aphasia and vertigo
A: tinnitus, vertigo, and hearing loss

Q: An organic disorder is when there is damage to:
- the hearing mechanism
- the neural pathways
- the brain
- all of the above
A: all of the above

Q: Loudness recruitment:
- is always present in presbycusis
- refers to abnormal loudness growth of clients with sensorineural hearing
- only applies to patients with central processing problems
- is medically correctable
A: refers to abnormal loudness growth of clients with sensorineural hearing

Q: Tinnitus is:
- a completely understood disorder
- often managd by hearing instruments or tinnitus maskers
- psychological in nature only
- managed only by a labyrinthectomy
A: often managd by hearing instruments or tinnitus maskers

Q: A characteristic of a conductive loss is:
- a soft spoken patient
- more affected in high frequencies than lows
- continual vertigo
- a loud talking patient
A: a soft spoken patient

Q: Which is not a characteristic of a sensorineural loss?
- difficulty understanding high frequency consonant sounds
- recruitment
- hearing better in noise than in quiet
- tinnitus
A: hearing better in noise than in quiet