How are air and bone conduction thresholds related in a sensorineural hearing loss diagnosis?

In the context of sensorineural hearing loss, the relationship between air and bone conduction thresholds is critical for understanding the nature of the hearing impairment. Sensorineural hearing loss is characterized by damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve pathways, affecting the ability to hear both air and bone conducted sounds.

When assessing air and bone conduction thresholds in cases of sensorineural hearing loss, both types of thresholds will generally be within 10 dB of each other. This means there will be little to no significant gap between the air conduction and bone conduction thresholds, leading to the conclusion that air and bone conduction thresholds are the same.

This is distinct from conductive hearing loss, where bone conduction thresholds would be better (i.e., lower) than air conduction thresholds due to issues in the outer or middle ear affecting air conduction but not bone conduction. In sensorineural hearing loss, since the problem lies within the inner ear mechanisms for both air and bone conduction, the thresholds reflect that equivalency, making them similarly impaired.

Thus, in sensorineural hearing loss diagnoses, it is accurate to state that air and bone conduction thresholds are the same.