Output details

Early detection of non-organic hearing loss using a simple

tone-in-noise test

Significance of output:

Over 1,000 hearing tests are conducted every day in the UK, with over 20 tests involving people feigning or exaggerating a hearing loss, called ‘non-organic hearing loss’ (NOHL). We devised an accurate clinical test to detect NOHL to avert harmful, life-threatening and unnecessary treatment. The test uses standard audiological hardware (zero cost) and requires minimal additional training. It has been selected as the sole test specifically to detect cheating in the international Deaflympics Summer Games 2013 held in Sophia, Bulgaria, involving 3,000 athletes from over 80 countries (contact: Roanna Simmons, International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, simmons@ciss.org).