Weber test

Weber test.
ICD-9-CM95.43
The Weber test is administered by holding a vibrating tuning fork on top of the patient's head.

The Weber test is a screening test for hearing performed with a tuning fork.[1][2] It can detect unilateral (one-sided) conductive hearing loss (middle ear hearing loss) and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (inner ear hearing loss).[3] The test is named after Ernst Heinrich Weber (1795–1878). Conductive hearing ability is mediated by the middle ear composed of the ossicles: the malleus, the incus, and the stapes. Sensorineural hearing ability is mediated by the inner ear composed of the cochlea with its internal basilar membrane and attached cochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII). The outer ear consisting of the pinna, ear canal, and ear drum or tympanic membrane transmits sounds to the middle ear but does not contribute to the conduction or sensorineural hearing ability save for hearing transmissions limited by cerumen impaction (wax collection in the ear canal).

The Weber test has had its value as a screening test questioned in the literature.[4][5]

  1. ^ Kong, Erwin L.; Fowler, James B. (2019), "Rinne Test", StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, PMID 28613725, retrieved 2019-04-24
  2. ^ Wahid, Nur Wahidah B.; Attia, Maximos (2019), "Weber Test", StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, PMID 30252391, retrieved 2019-04-24
  3. ^ Betts, J Gordon; Desaix, Peter; Johnson, Eddie; Johnson, Jody E; Korol, Oksana; Kruse, Dean; Poe, Brandon; Wise, James; Womble, Mark D; Young, Kelly A (May 14, 2023). Anatomy & Physiology. Houston: OpenStax CNX. 16.3 The Cranial Nerve Exam. ISBN 978-1-947172-04-3.
  4. ^ Bagai A, Thavendiranathan P, Detsky AS (January 2006). "Does this patient have hearing impairment?". JAMA. 295 (4): 416–28. doi:10.1001/jama.295.4.416. PMID 16434632.
  5. ^ Mugunthan, Kayalvili; Doust, Jenny; Kurz, Bodo; Glasziou, Paul (2014-08-04). "Is there sufficient evidence for tuning fork tests in diagnosing fractures? A systematic review". BMJ Open. 4 (8): e005238. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005238. ISSN 2044-6055. PMC 4127942. PMID 25091014.