Brain Health, Cognition, and Audition-Brain Health, Cognition, and Audition Handout 5

Brain Health, Cognition, and Audition Handout 5

Pdf Summary

This article discusses a protocol for a two-minute speech-in-noise test that can be used to determine speech-in-noise thresholds and validate differences between unaided and aided responses. The ability to understand speech in noisy environments is a common complaint among individuals with hearing loss and those wearing hearing aids. Despite the availability of SIN tests, they are not routinely performed by audiologists. The protocol outlined in this article is quick, reliable, and clinically useful, with administration time taking less than 120 seconds. It involves presenting speech in the front speaker at a constant level while four-talker speech babble is presented through the rear speaker. The SNR-50, the signal-to-noise ratio required for 50 percent correct speech comprehension, is used as the primary measure of auditory function. The article also emphasizes the importance of establishing SNR-50 thresholds to determine the degree of SIN impairment. The protocol uses calibrated sound-field testing and recommends the use of four-talker speech babble instead of artificial noises for a more realistic representation of real-world difficulty. The article provides pilot data from eight individuals with and without hearing loss, and demonstrates how aided SIN scores can improve with amplification. The authors recommend using this protocol to assess unaided and aided SIN performance in order to select appropriate amplification and quantify hearing aid benefit.

Keywords

two-minute speech-in-noise test

speech-in-noise thresholds

unaided and aided responses

audiologists

SNR-50 thresholds

auditory function

four-talker speech babble

realistic representation

amplification

hearing aid benefit