Configuration of Hearing Loss
The shape of the hearing threshold pattern across test frequencies as plotted on an audiogram, described by terms such as flat, sloping, rising, notched, or cookie-bite.
Full Definition
The configuration (or audiometric configuration) describes the audiogram's morphology rather than its overall severity. Common configurations include: flat (thresholds roughly equal across frequencies), high-frequency sloping (better thresholds at low frequencies, worse at high), rising (worse thresholds at low frequencies), notched (localised threshold depression, often at 4000 Hz in noise-induced hearing loss), and cookie-bite or U-shaped (greater loss in mid-frequencies). In editorial contexts, these descriptors should be used precisely; editors must check that the described configuration matches the reported numerical thresholds. 'Sloping' and 'precipitous' are sometimes confused—the former implies a gradual decline, the latter a steep one.
Usage
Usage note: Configuration descriptors (flat, sloping, notched, etc.) are lowercase and not hyphenated unless used as compound modifiers (e.g., 'high-frequency sloping configuration'). Do not conflate configuration with degree or type.
In Context
- "The audiogram revealed a bilateral high-frequency sloping configuration consistent with noise-induced hearing loss." — Audiological evaluation report
- "The editor queried 'flat configuration' against the reported thresholds, noting a 30 dB difference between 500 and 4000 Hz." — Copy-editing query