An audiogram shows both air and bone conduction thresholds depressed to about 50 dB HL at all frequencies with no air-bone gap. What type of hearing loss is described?

• A. Conductive
• B. Functional
• C. Sensorineural
• D. Mixed

Answer: (C)

Air- and bone-conduction patterns on an audiogram reveal where the hearing loss originates. Here, both pathways show similar elevation—about 50 dB HL across frequencies—and there is no air-bone gap. This combination points to sensorineural loss, because the inner ear or auditory nerve is affected and elevates thresholds for both air- and bone-conducted sound equally. If the middle ear were the problem (conductive loss), bone conduction would be mostly normal while air conduction is elevated, creating an air-bone gap. A mixed loss would show elevated thresholds for both pathways plus an air-bone gap due to a concurrent conductive component.