What does the rollover ratio in the WRT test indicate?

The rollover ratio in the WRT (Word Recognition Test) is an important metric that measures how a patient's ability to understand speech changes as the loudness of the sound is increased. Specifically, it reflects the threshold shift from the minimum to the maximum level of speech recognition performance.

When a person's ability to recognize words reaches a peak at a certain intensity level and then declines with further increases in loudness, this indicates that there may be issues with auditory processing or other underlying auditory conditions. A high rollover ratio suggests that hearing ability does not improve with increased loudness, which can be a critical diagnostic indicator in distinguishing between different types of hearing loss, such as conductive and sensorineural loss.

Understanding the rollover ratio is vital for hearing professionals as it assists in making informed decisions regarding treatment options and ultimately contributes to better patient outcomes.