Pupil dilation as an indicator for auditory signal detection : Towards an objective hearing test based on eye tracking

Abstract: An early detection of hearing loss in children is important for the child's speech and language development. For children between 3-6 months, a reliable method to measure hearing and determine hearing thresholds is missing. A hearing test based on the pupillary response to auditory signal detection as measured by eye tracking is based on an automatic physiological response. This hearing test could be used instead of the objective hearing tests used today. The presence of pupillary response has been shown in response to speech, but it is unstudied in response to sinus tones. The objective of this thesis was to study whether there is a consistent pupillary response to different sinus tone frequencies commonly used in hearing tests and if yes, to determine reliably the time window of this response. Four different tests were done. The adult pupillary response in regard to sinus tone stimuli with four frequency levels (500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz), and four loudness levels (silence, 30 dB, 50 dB and 70 dB) was tested (N=20, 15 females, 5 males). Different brightness levels and distractions on the eye tracking screen were investigated in three substudies (N=5, 4 females, 1 male). Differences between silence and loudness levels within frequency levels were tested for statistical significance. A pupillary response in regard to sinus tones occurred consistently between 300 ms and 2000 ms with individual variation, i.e. earlier than for speech sounds. Differences between silence and loudness levels were only statistically significant for 4000 Hz. No statistical difference was shown between different brightness levels or if there were distractions present on the eye tracker screen. The conclusion is that pupillary response to pure sinus tones in adults is a possible measure of hearing threshold for at least 4000 Hz. Larger studies are needed to confirm this, and also to more thoroughly investigate the other frequencies.