Aided Threshold
The softest level of sound an individual can detect while wearing their hearing device, plotted on an audiogram to assess the functional benefit of amplification.
Full Definition
An aided threshold is the minimum audible sound level measurable for a hearing aid or cochlear implant user while the device is in place and activated, in contrast to the unaided threshold obtained without amplification. Aided thresholds are recorded on a standard audiogram using specific symbols (commonly a circle with a letter 'A' or a triangle) and are compared against the unaided thresholds to calculate functional gain. They provide a behavioral estimate of the audibility of speech sounds when amplification is worn. Editors must distinguish 'aided threshold' from 'speech recognition threshold' (SRT) and from Real-Ear Measurement data, as these are distinct measures of hearing aid benefit. The term is always rendered as two words and is not hyphenated.
Usage
Usage note: Never hyphenate as 'aided-threshold.' Distinguish from 'functional gain,' which is the arithmetic difference between aided and unaided thresholds rather than the aided threshold value itself.
In Context
- "Aided thresholds plotted in the speech banana confirmed that all frequencies critical for speech perception were audible with the current hearing aid settings." — Pediatric hearing aid fitting report
- "The editorial team queried whether 'aided threshold' and 'functional gain' were being used interchangeably in the manuscript, which required clarification from the author." — Peer-review editorial correspondence