Schwabach test

4.59  Schwabach test. Used to distinguish between conductive and sensorineural hearing losses. A vibrating tuning fork is applied to the mastoid process until the subject can no longer hear it. This time duration is compared with the duration that the tuning fork is heard by a normal ear (usually the hearing examiner’s). If there is a sensorineural hearing loss, the subject will hear the tone for a shorter time than is normal. If there is a conductive hearing loss, the subject will hear the tone longer than normal. See also 4.18.