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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Relationships between middle latency auditory responses (MLR) and speech discrimination tests in the elderly.

74 subjects aged between 60 and 80 years underwent tonal audiometry, speech discrimination tests (phonetically balanced words, normal sentences and compressed sentences) and middle latency responses (MLRs) in order to evaluate possible correlations between behavioural and electrophysiological tests. The results showed that in elderly patients normal sentences are better understood than phonetically balanced words, that performances decrease dramatically when listening conditions became difficult, that auditory threshold seems to influence speech discrimination scores more than does age per se. MLRs seem to be unaffected both by age and by auditory threshold and Pa occurrence is a more reliable parameter than its latency. No correlation between speech discrimination tests and MLRs could be observed; on the contrary in the presence of abnormal speech discrimination tests the MLRs were almost normal and vice versa.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

Possibilities of improving the diagnosis of noise-induced hearing damage by means of directional audiometry, the dichotic speech discrimination test, and the EEG1.

Several audiometric tests were made of 85 noise workers exposed to an intensive impulse noise during pressing and punching. These tests aimed at finding out noise-induced central hearing damages (directional audiometry, dichotic speech discrimination test according to Feldmann and checking of the induction of the impedance jump). In addition, a clinical EEG was taken from each subject. Having obtained the necessary norms with series of tests in subjects with normal hearing abilities for their respective ages, the following results have been obtained: (1) directional hearing has hardly been affected by noise-induced hearing damage. It behaves like age changes in the group compared with it; (2) the dichotic speech discrimination test shows increasingly pathological values with progressive noise-induced hearing damage; this was already obvious in the age group 41-50. The impedance jump is less and less produced with progressive noise-induced hearing damage and finally disappears at a noise intensity of up to 110 dB. Because of these findings a progressive degeneration of the spiral ganglion and hearing nerve in noise-induced hearing damage is discussed as a cause of a deteriorated speech discrimination and the absence of the impedance jump. The EEG findings show changes in the alpha-rhythm in about 50% of the cases at an exposure time of 10 years onwards which may be possibly due to damage to the reticular formation, once increasing noise-induced hearing damage no longer exists.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Articulation functions and test-retest performance of normal-hearing children on three speech discrimination tests: WIPI, PBK-50, and NV Auditory Test No. 6.

This study investigates the performance of normal-hearing children on three types of speech discrimination tasks: (1) a multiple-choice, closed-message set test requiring no verbal response, the WIPI; (2) an open-message set test for adults, Northwestern University Aue talker were administrated to 60 normal-hearing children, divided qually between the ages three-and-one-half, five-and-one-half, seven-and-one-half, nine-and-one-half, and 11-and-one-half years. The number of tests and sensations levels administered varied by age. The WIPI test yielded the highest discrimination scores, the PBK-50 was intermediate, and the NU-6 was most difficult. A small number of items on the WIPI test accounted for a large percentage of the errors. For three-and-one-half years olds, the WIPI appears to be the instrument of choice. For children aged five-and-one-half years, both the WIPI and the PBK-50 appear to be appropriate clinical tools. Children aged seven-and-one-half scored similar to children aged nine-and-one-half on the WIPI and to children aged nine-and-one-half and 11 and-one-half on the PBK-50 and NU-6. Test-retest differences were small on all three tests.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1990

[Five-choice speech discrimination test].

In order to overcome defects of dictation method, a new 5-choice method introduced into Japanese mono syllables discrimination test. A new 20-items mono syllables list was developed on the principle of equal probability of the Japanese consonant phonetics, instead of the present mono syllable frequencies among the 100 Japanese mono syllables. The choice items for the each stimulus syllables were selected on the analysis of perceptual confusions data among hard of hearing persons. Comparison of discrimination scores and consonant confusions of the dictation method speech test and 5-choice method revealed that the two tests were parallel with some advantages of easiness of test procedure, and easiness and objectivity of scoring on the side of 5-choice method.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

Speech discrimination tests with hearing aids in tele-coil listening mode. A comparative study in school children.

The object of this study was to compare the discrimination scores obtained in conventional speech audiometry with the scores recorded when the same speech test lists were presented through individually fitted, ear-level hearing aids. Comparative tests were performed in 50 hearing-impaired students aged 8 to 20 years, all well trained everyday hearing aid users. The test material consisted of Swedish standardized 50 words PB lists, recorded on tape. To keep the test conditions under control in the hearing aid presentation, the recorded speech was transmitted from a neck-loop telecoil to the student's hearing aid (T-mode listening). The result shows that the great majority of children recorded considerably higher discrimination scores when the tests were performed with their individual hearing aids than with the test lists presented through the audiometer and the TDH-49 earphone. The conclusion is that, in children who are using carefully fitted hearing aids and are well adapted to those, the results of traditional speech audiometry tests involve a risk of underrating such children's practical hearing ability. The finding stresses that it is important to maintain one and the same amplification characteristic to which the child has accommodated, and to avoid switching between systems with different characteristics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

A comparison of the NU-6 and W-22 speech discrimination tests for assessing sensorineural hearing loss.

The Auditec recordings of the CID W-22 and NU-6 word lists were administered to 30 adults having sensorineural hearing losses. Speech discrimination scores for both tests were obtained at 16, 24, and 32 dB sensation level. Results suggest that both tests differentiate sensorineural-impaired subjects from normal listeners, although scores were significantly better for the W-22 word lists at all sensation levels. Implications for the clinical use of these measures are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Simulation of low-pass hearing loss in a Finnish speech discrimination test.

Three different degrees of clinical hearing loss of low-pass type were stimulated by a filter apparatus. The equipment to simulate a given hearing loss is described. The speech discrimination curves corresponding to the normal hearing and to the three degrees of hearing loss were measured in normal hearing adults using Finnish PB-words. The stimulation of a light hearing loss of low-pass type yielded a two-staged discrimination curve. The discrimination curves of a moderate and a severe hearing loss crossed at a very high output level. The cause of this phenomenon is discussed on the ground of the exceptional vowel/consonant relation and intensity/frequency distribution in the Finnish language.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Audio-visual discrimination of speech.

Tests utilizing audio-visual presentations of speech may have more significance than has hitherto been recognized. Such tests appear to offer more reliable, more realistic and more reproducible measures of communication impairments than either auditory speech discrimination tests, or visual speech discrimination tests.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Audiological findings of prolonged Menière's disease.

As Ménière's disease progresses, the fluctuations becomes less marked and the hearing level gradually declines. In the more established and advanced stages of the disease, a permanent and progressive hearing loss develops. It has been reported, however, that hearing acuity in some patients with Ménière's disease significantly improved after having had the disorder for many years. Such observation suggests that the inner ear pathology in late stages of Ménière's disease may not be necessarily irreversible. The purpose of this investigation was to assess whether or not various audiological evaluations including EcochG may be of value in predicting the irreversibility of hearing deficit in patients suffering from advanced stages of Ménière's disease. The audiological studies included pure tone audiogram, SISI test, Bekesy audiometry, glycerol (or urea) test, speech discrimination test, and electrocochleography. A combination of the recruiting type of response in the EcochG and the narrowing of the tracing width of continuous sound in the Bekesy pattern seemed to be indicative for irreversible hair cell damages. Patients who had a low score in the speech discrimination test as well as an absence of ABR response were suspected of having retrocochlear lesions. Our investigations suggest that the irreversibility of hearing impairment in patients with later stages of Ménière's disease may be predicted to some extent in the use of various audiological evaluations including the EcochG.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Combining auditory and visual stimuli in the adaptive testing of speech discrimination.

This investigation determined the feasibility of using both auditory and visual stimuli in the adaptive testing of speech discrimination. Thirty-six adults with normal hearing and vision were subjects. Using the adaptive methodology known as the Doublet technique, speech-discrimination testing using monosyllabic word lists from the Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (NU-6) (Tillman and Carhart, 1966) was performed at the target levels of 29.3 and 70.7% for both auditory-only and auditory-visual conditions. The results indicated that a specific discrimination score could be obtained under more adverse listening conditions with the addition of visual cues. The contribution of visual cues was constant for the two target scores. The adaptive technique at the 29.3 and 70.7% targets was reliable for both the auditory-only and auditory-visual conditions. Constant level testing showed good agreement with the adaptive technique for the auditory-visual condition. In conclusion, the use of standard error calculations is useful in determining measurement errors and the effects of an aural rehabilitation program.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1989

Relationship between two nontraditional procedures for assessing speech-sound discrimination.

Test of speech-sound discrimination are used by special educators, reading specialists and speech-language pathologists in assessing children's ability to differentiate between speech sounds occurring in standard English. Such tests are important in determining if speech-sound articulation errors are caused by difficulty in making such differentiations. However, during the past 10 years, these tests have been criticized on the basis of their reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of two alternative methods of assessing speech-sound discrimination with a school-aged population to determine if they elicited responses in a similar manner.

Child↗
PubMed1991

Role of a multichannel electrotactile speech processor in a cochlear implant program for profoundly hearing-impaired adults.

Four profoundly hearing-impaired adults who did not meet current selection criteria for implantation at the University of Melbourne were each fitted with a wearable multichannel electrotactile speech processor (Tickle Talker). The subjects were evaluated with a test battery of speech discrimination tests subsequent to training in use of the device. Thresholds for detection of pure tones were lower for the Tickle Talker than for hearing aids across the frequency range 250 to 4000 Hz. Mean speech detection thresholds for the Ling 5-sound test showed that all sounds were detected by users of the electrotactile device at normal conversational speech intensity levels. Mean speech discrimination scores were significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in the tactually aided condition as compared with the tactually unaided for identification of vowels and consonants, on open-set words, open-set sentences, and on connected discourse tracking. Mean scores increased by 20% for vowels, 19% for consonants, 30% for open-set words, and 25% for open-set sentences when the Tickle Talker was used in a multimodal combination with lipreading or lipreading and hearing aids. Speechtracking rates for three subjects showed increases of from 18 to 28 wpm when the tactile device was used. Comparison of tactually aided versus unaided tracking rates for two subjects with long-term experience shows continuing improvement with additional experience with the device. These results demonstrate that hearing-impaired adults not meeting selection criteria for cochlear implantation may benefit from use of an electrotactile speech processor, and highlight the potential benefits from integration of such devices into cochlear implant programs for profoundly hearing-impaired patients.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1987

Infant speech-sound discrimination testing: effects of stimulus intensity and procedural model on measures of performance.

Performance of infants in a speech-sound discrimination task (/ba/ vs /da/) was measured at three stimulus intensity levels (50, 60, and 70 dB SPL) using the operant head-turn procedure. The procedure was modified so that data could be treated as though from a single-interval (yes-no) procedure, as is commonly done, as well as if from a sustained attention (vigilance) task. Discrimination performance changed significantly with increase in intensity, suggesting caution in the interpretation of results from infant discrimination studies in which only single stimulus intensity levels within this range are used. The assumptions made about the underlying methodological model did not change the performance-intensity relationships. However, infants demonstrated response decrement, typical of vigilance tasks, which supports the notion that the head-turn procedure is represented best by the vigilance model. Analysis then was done according to a method designed for tasks with undefined observation intervals [C. S. Watson and T. L. Nichols, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 59, 655-668 (1976)]. Results reveal that, while group data are reasonably well represented across levels of difficulty by the fixed-interval model, there is a variation in performance as a function of time following trial onset that could lead to underestimation of performance in some cases.

Arousal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of spatial separation of speech and noise sources on the optimal setting of the master hearing aid.

The sound fields in which hearing aid evaluations are performed with tests of speech discrimination are far from standardized. This investigation was concerned with the nature of the sound field in terms of separation of speech and noise sources as related to the optimal setting of a master hearing aid as indicated by listener performance scores on tests of speech discrimination in noise. Two sound fields were used in this investigation, one with speech and noise from the same source and another with speech and noise sources separated by 90 degrees and 45 degrees off the axis of the midsagittal plane of the listener. The repeatability of the optimal setting of the master hearing aid from one configuration to the other and the resolution available in each sound field, were of prime interest. The data indicated that the sound field configuration has no bearing on the optimal setting of the master hearing aid. The data did indicate that maximum resolution was available in the case of speech and noise from the same source.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1989

Perception/production relationships in the development of the vowel duration cue to final consonant voicing.

The purposes of this study were to assess: (a) the development of identification in children for the vowel duration cue to final consonant voicing and (b) the perception/production relationships in children for the vowel duration cue to final consonant voicing. Subjects were 30 children divided equally into three age groups, and 10 adults. Productions consisted of 15 repetitions of two target syllables (beet, bead) analyzed acoustically for vowel duration. From these were calculated category boundary, category separation, and variability in production for each subject. Perceptual data were collected using a synthesized speech continuum that varied vowel duration. Identification responses were used to calculate category boundary, category separation (slope/boundary width) and variability (response consistency) for each subject. Mean percentage correct discrimination was derived by using two-step and three-step two-pair same-different paradigms. The results were as follows: (a) category boundary and category separation in production were adult-like by 8 years of age, (b) variability in production was not adult-like by 10 years of age, (c) perception categorization (category boundary and category separation) was adult-like at 5 years of age, (d) perceptual consistency was not adult-like until 10 years of age, (e) percentage correct discrimination was not adult-like by 10 years of age, (f) correlations between comparable perception and production measures were nonsignificant, and (g) a pairwise comparisons analysis indicated that perception was consistently more advanced than production.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Evaluation of an articulation-index based model for predicting the effects of adaptive frequency response hearing aids.

The Articulation Index (AI) was used to evaluate an "adaptive frequency response" (AFR) hearing aid with amplification characteristics that automatically change to become more high-pass with increasing levels of background noise. Speech intelligibility ratings of connected discourse by normal-hearing subjects were predicted well by an empirically derived AI transfer function. That transfer function was used to predict aided speech intelligibility ratings by 12 hearing-impaired subjects wearing a master hearing aid with the Argosy Manhattan Circuit enabled (AFR-on) or disabled (AFR-off). For all subjects, the AI predicted no improvements in speech intelligibility for the AFR-on versus AFR-off condition, and no significant improvements in rated intelligibility were observed. The ability of the AI to predict aided speech intelligibility varied across subjects. However, ratings from every hearing-impaired subject were related monotonically to AI. Therefore, AI calculations may be used to predict relative--but not absolute--levels of speech intelligibility produced under different amplification conditions.

Adult↗