Speech audiometry in Estonia: Estonian words in noise (EWIN) test

Abstract Objective: Currently, there is no up-to-date speech perception test available in the Estonian language that may be used to diagnose hearing loss and quantify speech intelligibility. Therefore, based on the example of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Audiologie (NVA)-lists (Bosman, 1989; Wouters et al, 1994) an Estonian words in noise (EWIN) test has been developed. Design: Two experimental steps were carried out: (1) selection and perceptual optimization of the monosyllables, and (2) construction of 14 lists and an evaluation in normal hearing (NH) subjects both in noise and in quiet. Study sample: Thirty-six normal-hearing (NH) native speakers of Estonia (age range from 17 to 46 years). Results: The reference psychometric curve for NH subjects was determined, with the slope and speech reception threshold being well in accordance with the respective values of the NVA lists. The 14 lists in noise yielded equivalent scores with high precision. Conclusion: The EWIN test is a reliable and valid speech intelligibility test, and is the first of its kind in the Estonian language.

[1]  Birgitta Larsby,et al.  A Swedish version of the Hearing In Noise Test (HINT) for measurement of speech recognition , 2006, International journal of audiology.

[2]  W A Dreschler,et al.  Relations between psychophysical data and speech perception for hearing-impaired subjects. II. , 1980, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[3]  C Ludvigsen.  Comparison of certain measures of speech and noise level. , 1992, Scandinavian audiology.

[4]  M. Killion,et al.  Development of a quick speech-in-noise test for measuring signal-to-noise ratio loss in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. , 2004, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[5]  Birger Kollmeier,et al.  Internationally comparable screening tests for listening in noise in several European languages: The German digit triplet test as an optimization prototype , 2012, International journal of audiology.

[6]  Rainer Martin,et al.  HearCom: hearing in the communication society , 2011 .

[7]  Astrid van Wieringen,et al.  LIST and LINT: Sentences and numbers for quantifying speech understanding in severely impaired listeners for Flanders and the Netherlands , 2008, International journal of audiology.

[8]  B Kollmeier,et al.  Development and evaluation of a German sentence test for objective and subjective speech intelligibility assessment. , 1997, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[9]  Robyn M. Cox,et al.  Development of the Connected Speech Test (CST) , 1987, Ear and hearing.

[10]  W A Dreschler,et al.  Relation between psychophysical data and speech perception for hearing-impaired subjects. I. , 1980, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[11]  Ryan McCreery,et al.  Performance-intensity functions for normal-hearing adults and children using CASPA , 2009 .

[12]  A. M. Mimpen,et al.  Improving the reliability of testing the speech reception threshold for sentences. , 1979, Audiology : official organ of the International Society of Audiology.

[13]  Murdock,et al.  The serial position effect of free recall , 1962 .

[14]  Dieter Baeyens,et al.  Wegwijs in de aandachtstekortstoornis met hyperactiviteit (ADHD) , 2009 .

[15]  Jan Wouters,et al.  Vlaamse opname van woordenlijsten voor spraakaudiometrie , 1994 .

[16]  L Magnusson,et al.  Reliable clinical determination of speech recognition scores using Swedish PB words in speech-weighted noise. , 1995, Scandinavian audiology.

[17]  Jan Wouters,et al.  APEX 3: a multi-purpose test platform for auditory psychophysical experiments , 2008, Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

[18]  T. Salthouse.  A Theory of Cognitive Aging , 1985 .

[19]  A Wingfield,et al.  Cognitive factors in auditory performance: context, speed of processing, and constraints of memory. , 1996, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

[20]  I. Hirsh,et al.  Development of materials for speech audiometry. , 1952, The Journal of speech and hearing disorders.

[21]  A. M. Mimpen,et al.  Speech-reception threshold for sentences as a function of age and noise level. , 1979, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[22]  Richard H. Wilson,et al.  Development of a speech-in-multitalker-babble paradigm to assess word-recognition performance. , 2003, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

[23]  Stanley A Gelfand.  Tri-word presentations with phonemic scoring for practical high-reliability speech recognition assessment. , 2003, Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR.

[24]  Andrew Faulkner,et al.  Speech perception by profoundly hearing impaired users of the SiVo-II aid in quiet and noise , 1995 .

[25]  S. Soli,et al.  Development of the Hearing in Noise Test for the measurement of speech reception thresholds in quiet and in noise. , 1994, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[26]  M. Bevilacqua,et al.  The Brazilian Portuguese Hearing in Noise Test , 2008, International journal of audiology.

[27]  W. M. Rabinowitz,et al.  Standardization of a test of speech perception in noise. , 1979, Journal of speech and hearing research.

[28]  Mead C. Killion.  New Thinking on Hearing in Noise: A Generalized Articulation Index , 2002 .

[29]  Rachel A McArdle,et al.  Speech recognition in multitalker babble using digits, words, and sentences. , 2005, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

[30]  Ryan McCreery,et al.  Performance-Intensity Functions for Normal-Hearing Adults and Children Using Computer-Aided Speech Perception Assessment , 2010, Ear and hearing.

[31]  Heleen Luts,et al.  The French digit triplet test: A hearing screening tool for speech intelligibility in noise , 2010, International journal of audiology.

[32]  A. Boothroyd.  Statistical theory of the speech discrimination score. , 1968, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[33]  R Carhart,et al.  An expanded test for speech discrimination utilizing CNC monosyllabic words. Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6. SAM-TR-66-55. , 1966, [Technical report] SAM-TR. USAF School of Aerospace Medicine.

[34]  T Houtgast,et al.  Method for the selection of sentence materials for efficient measurement of the speech reception threshold. , 1999, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[35]  Fergus I. M. Craik,et al.  Memory Changes in Normal Aging , 1994 .

[36]  S. Soli,et al.  Adaptation of the HINT (hearing in noise test) for adult Canadian Francophone populations , 2005, International journal of audiology.