This study investigated the incidence of peripheral hearing loss in sickle cell anemia and the possibility of central auditory nervous system involvement. Nine Black subjects with sickle cell disease and nine with normal hemoglobin were administered an auditory test battery. There appeared to be no correlation between number of crisis episodes, duration of symptoms, severity of symptoms, and audiologic manifestations. Acoustic reflex testing suggested the possibility of "aired neural function in the sickle cell group. Whether impaired function was due to peripheral VIIIth nerve or to central brain stem involvement could not be determined. Results of the central auditory test battery suggested the possibility of impaired or reduced central auditory function in subjects with sickle cell anemia.

Research was conducted on twenty-seven preoperative myringotomy patients to clarify the correlation between tympanometry type and the presence of middle ear effusion. Test results indicate that the relationship between tympanometry and middle ear effusion is dependent on the amount of fluid present. In impacted ears primarily Type B tympanograms were obtained whereas for less than impacted ears all tympanogram types were seen. Also suggested was that a combination of height of the tympanogram and the amount of negative pressure may be diagnostically more important than negative pressure alone as an indicator of effusion. It was recommended that other measures in addition to tympanometry be employed in the diagnosis of middle ear effusion and that further research is needed to achieve optimal use of impedance audiometry.

Time-compressed speech discrimination of children grouped as high and low risk on a reading-readiness test was examined. Children were grouped according to performance on a measure of reading-readiness skills. All passed a hearing screening at fifteen decibels for octave frequencies 250-4000 Hz. The Word Intelligibility by Picture Identification (WIPI) comprised the time-compressed speech task, in a sound field at seventy decibels Sound Pressure Level and zero degrees azimuth. The protocol for administration of the time-compressed speech task was sixty per cent time compression, then zero per cent time compression. Significant effects appeared for time compression ratio and test group. Average difference was twelve per cent and approximately eight per cent at zero.