What type of test measures the speed of sound through the cochlea?

The chosen answer is correct because the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing specifically evaluates the auditory pathways from the cochlea to the brainstem, effectively measuring the speed of sound transmission through the cochlea and the associated neural structures. This test assesses how sound is processed in the central auditory system and is particularly valuable in diagnosing hearing impairments and understanding how quickly and efficiently sound travels through these pathways.

In contrast, pure tone audiometry primarily measures hearing sensitivity across different frequencies and does not provide direct information about the speed of sound in the cochlea. Speech audiometry evaluates an individual's ability to understand speech but does not involve a measurement of the cochlear function itself. Tympanometry assesses the middle ear’s health and the mobility of the tympanic membrane, but it is not related to the speed of sound transmission through the cochlea or auditory pathways. Thus, ABR testing is uniquely suited for measuring the cochlear processing speed.