Testing with headphones assesses hearing sensitivity through which pathway?

Testing with headphones primarily assesses hearing sensitivity through the air conduction pathway. This method evaluates how well sounds travel through the air and are transduced by the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear to reach the auditory nerve and brain. By using headphones, the test presents auditory stimuli directly to the ear, allowing for a precise measurement of hearing sensitivity.

Air conduction testing is essential as it mimics real-world listening situations, giving an understanding of how a person hears sounds in their daily life. The results help distinguish between different types of hearing loss, such as conductive or sensorineural, by identifying how well sounds are transmitted via the air compared to other pathways.

In contrast, while bone conduction involves vibrations directly stimulating the cochlea bypassing the outer and middle ear, it is not the pathway assessed when using traditional headphone testing. This distinction is vital in audiology to determine the nature of hearing loss accurately.