Korean Journal of Audiology (대한청각학회지)

The Korean Audiology Society (대한청각학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Auditory Recognition of Digit-in-Noise under Unaided and Aided Conditions in Moderate and Severe Sensorineural Hearing Loss

  • Aghasoleimani, Mina (Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences) ;
  • Jalilvand, Hamid (Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences) ;
  • Mahdavi, Mohammad Ebrahim (Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences) ;
  • Ahmadi, Roghayeh (Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences)
  • Received : 2020.02.22
  • Accepted : 2020.08.25
  • Published : 2021.04.20
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The speech-in-noise test is typically performed using an audiometer. The results of the digit-in-noise recognition (DIN) test may be influenced by the flat frequency response of free-field audiometry and frequency of the hearing aid fit based on fitting rationale. This study aims to investigate the DIN test in unaided and aided conditions. Subjects and Methods: Thirty four adults with moderate and severe sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) participated in the study. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for 50% of the DIN test was obtained in the following two conditions: 1) the unaided condition, performed using an audiometer in a free field; and 2) aided condition, performed using a hearing aid with an unvented individual earmold that was fitted based on NAL-NL2. Results: There was a statistically significant elevation in the mean SNR for the severe SNHL group in both test conditions when compared with that of the moderate SNHL group. In both groups, the SNR for the aided condition was significantly lower than that of the unaided condition. Conclusions: Speech recognition in hearing-impaired patients can be realized by fitting hearing aids based on evidence-based fitting rationale rather than by measuring it using free-field audiometry measurement that is utilized in a routine clinic setup.

Keywords

References

  1. Ching TY, Dillon H. A brief overview of factors affecting speech intelligibility of people with hearing loss: implications for amplification. Am J Audiol 2013;22:306-9. https://doi.org/10.1044/1059-0889(2013/12-0075)
  2. Moore BC. A review of the perceptual effects of hearing loss for frequencies above 3 kHz. Int J Audiol 2016;55:707-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2016.1204565
  3. Grant KW, Walden TC. Understanding excessive SNR loss in hearing-impaired listeners. J Am Acad Audiol 2013;24:258-73. https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.24.4.3
  4. Houtgast T, Festen JM. On the auditory and cognitive functions that may explain an individual's elevation of the speech reception threshold in noise. Int J Audiol 2008;47:287-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992020802127109
  5. Taylor BB. Speech-in-noise tests: how and why to include them in your basic test battery. Hear J 2003;56:40-3. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.HJ.0000293000.76300.ff
  6. Smits C, Kapteyn TS, Houtgast T. Development and validation of an automatic speech-in-noise screening test by telephone. Int J Audiol 2004;43:15-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992020400050004
  7. Wilson RH, Burks CA, Weakley DG. Word recognition of digit triplets and monosyllabic words in multitalker babble by listeners with sensorineural hearing loss. J Am Acad Audiol 2006;17:385-97. https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.17.6.2
  8. Smits C, Theo Goverts S, Festen JM. The digits-in-noise test: assessing auditory speech recognition abilities in noise. J Acoust Soc Am 2013;133:1693-706. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4789933
  9. Jansen S, Luts H, Dejonckere P, van Wieringen A, Wouters J. Efficient hearing screening in noise-exposed listeners using the digit triplet test. Ear Hear 2013;34:773-8. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0b013e318297920b
  10. Koole A, Nagtegaal AP, Homans NC, Hofman A, Baatenburg de Jong RJ, Goedegebure A. Using the digits-in-noise test to estimate age-related hearing loss. Ear Hear 2016;37:508-13. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000282
  11. Moore DR, Edmondson-Jones M, Dawes P, Fortnum H, McCormack A, Pierzycki RH, et al. Relation between speech-in-noise threshold, hearing loss and cognition from 40-69 years of age. PLoS One 2014;9:e107720. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107720
  12. Dillon H. Hearing aids. 2 ed. New York: Thieme;2012.
  13. McRackan TR, Ahlstrom JB, Clinkscales WB, Meyer TA, Dubno JR. Clinical implications of word recognition differences in earphone and aided conditions. Otol Neurotol 2016;37:1475-81. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000001205
  14. Schlauch RS, Nelson P. Puretone evaluation. In: Handbook of clinical audiology (eds. Katz J, Chasin M, English K, Hood LJ, Tillery KL), 7th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer;2015. p.29-47.
  15. Ansari NN, Naghdi S, Hasson S, Valizadeh L, Jalaie S. Validation of a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for the Persian population: a pilot study. Appl Neuropsychol 2010;17:190-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/09084282.2010.499773
  16. Scollie S, Glista D, Tenhaaf J, Dunn A, Malandrino A, Keene K, et al. Stimuli and normative data for detection of Ling-6 sounds in hearing level. Am J Audiol 2012;21:232-41. https://doi.org/10.1044/1059-0889(2012/12-0020)
  17. Aghsoleimani M, Jalilvand H, Mahdavi ME, Nazeri AR, Kamali M. The acceptable noise level benefit from directionality for listeners with severe hearing loss. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2018;11:166-73. https://doi.org/10.21053/ceo.2017.01375
  18. Ahmadi R, Jalilvand H, Mahdavi ME, Ahmadi F, Baghban ARA. The effects of hearing aid digital noise reduction and directionality on acceptable noise level. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2018;11:267-74. https://doi.org/10.21053/ceo.2018.00052
  19. The American National Standards Institute. American National Standard: maximum permissible ambient noise levels for audiometric test rooms. ANSI/ASA S3.1-1999 (R2018). Melville, NY: Acoustical Society of America;2008.
  20. Mahdavi ME, Pourbakht A, Parand A, Jalaie S, Rezaeian M, Moradiju E. Auditory recognition of words and digits in multitalker babble in learning-disabled children with dichotic listening deficit. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2017;19:e42817.
  21. Heidari M, Mahdavi ME, Heidari F, Baghban AA. Auditory recognition of Persian digits in multi-talker babble noise: a preliminary study. Aud Vest Res 2015;24:134-40.
  22. Dryden A, Allen HA, Henshaw H, Heinrich A. The association between cognitive performance and speech-in-noise perception for adult listeners: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Trends Hear 2017;21:2331216517744675.
  23. Dawes P, Munro KJ. Auditory distraction and acclimatization to hearing aids. Ear Hear 2017;38:174-83. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000366
  24. Habicht J, Kollmeier B, Neher T. Are experienced hearing aid users faster at grasping the meaning of a sentence than inexperienced users? An eye-tracking study. Trends Hear 2016;20:2331216516660966.
  25. Wendt D, Kollmeier B, Brand T. How hearing impairment affects sentence comprehension: using eye fixations to investigate the duration of speech processing. Trends Hear 2015;19:2331216515584149.
  26. Desjardins JL, Doherty KA. The effect of hearing aid noise reduction on listening effort in hearing-impaired adults. Ear Hear 2014;35:600-10. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000028