Understanding speech in background noise is occasionally difficult for normal hearing listeners and is often impossible for the listener with sensorineural hearing loss. The ability to understand speech in noise depends upon multiple factors such as the characteristics of the speech signal, the signal-to-noise ratio, and the listener's degree of hearing impairment. A routine hearing evaluation usually does not provide ample information about a listener's functional communication abilities. The Hearing-in-Noise Test (HINT) developed by The House Ear Institute provides an efficient and reliable method for evaluating an individual's suprathreshold speech understanding ability in quiet and in noise. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate monaural speech reception thresholds for sentences (RTS) in quiet and in noise using the standardized Hearing-in-Noise Test (HINT). Data was collected from one clinical setting using twenty-five subjects with bilateral normal hearing (WNL) and twenty subjects with bilaterally symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Subject age ranged from 40 to 65 years. The study results were generally in agreement with the HINT norms. It was concluded that administering the HINT monaurally under headphones could differentiate between normal hearing individuals and individuals with cochlear hearing loss. The SNHL group exhibited higher RTSs than the WNL group in both quiet and in noise. The mean RTS difference between the two groups in quiet was 14.56 dB while the mean RTS difference in noise was only 2.85 dB. Surprisingly, the difference between the two subject groups in quiet was greater than was expected.

Within recent decades speech audiometry materials have been developed in various languages in order to more accurately identify and evaluate hearing impairment in native speakers. This advantage, however, is not available to native Cebuano speakers. The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and psychometrically equate a set of Cebuano bisyllabic word lists for use in measuring word recognition ability. This process began with recording 260 commonly used bisyllabic Cebuano words by a native speaker noted for his quality and pleasantness of speech in his native tongue. These recordings were then evaluated by 20 normally hearing native Cebuano listeners (21 to 63 years old). Of these words, 200 were selected and then divided into 4 lists of 50 bisyllabic words and 8 half-lists of 25 bisyllabic words. Statistical analysis of the word recognition materials found no significant difference among the lists or half-lists. The mean psychometric function slope at 50% for the bisyllabic word lists and half-lists is 7.3%/dB. The mean 50% threshold for the lists was 19.7 dB HL (SD = 0.1dB). Adjustments were not necessary. The results of the current study are comparable to those found in other languages. Digital recordings of the bisyllabic word lists are available on compact disc.

Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 25 pages. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Understanding speech in background noise is occasionally difficult for normal hearing listeners and is often impossible for the listener with sensorineural hearing loss. The ability to understand speech in noise depends upon multiple factors such as the characteristics of the speech signal, the signal-to-noise ratio, and the listener's degree of hearing impairment. A routine hearing evaluation usually does not provide ample information about a listener's functional communication abilities. The Hearing-in-Noise Test (HINT) developed by The House Ear Institute provides an efficient and reliable method for evaluating an individual's suprathreshold speech understanding ability in quiet and in noise. / ABSTRACT: The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate monaural speech reception thresholds for sentences (RTS) in quiet and in noise using the standardized Hearing-in-Noise Test (HINT). Data was collected from one clinical setting using twenty-five subjects with bilateral normal hearing (WNL) and twenty subjects with bilaterally symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Subject age ranged from 40 to 65 years. The study results were generally in agreement with the HINT norms. It was concluded that administering the HINT monaurally under headphones could differentiate between normal hearing individuals and individuals with cochlear hearing loss. The SNHL group exhibited higher RTSs than the WNL group in both quiet and in noise. The mean RTS difference between the two groups in quiet was 14.56 dB while the mean RTS difference in noise was only 2.85 dB. Surprisingly, the difference between the two subject groups in quiet was greater than was expected. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

At the same time that the society has the comfort reached by the evolution in technology, it comes across with something bad that comes from the same evolution: the competitive noise and, consequently, the difficulty with the verbal communication. Moreover, complaints made by individuals who are not being able to comprehend speeches in the presence of noise are becoming more frequent at the audiology clinics, independent of the hearing deficit. Thus, facing the need for dimensioning this difficulty and trying to answer questions referring to the recognition of the speech in the noise, the present study objectives are: to find out the signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) where the sentence recognition thresholds in the noise (SRN) for normal hearing individuals and for individuals with sensorioneural hearing loss; to establish the percentual indexes of sentences recognition in the noise (PISRN) and its variation regarding the S/N ratio, for both groups; to compare the results of both groups. The research was performed by the application of the Portuguese Sentence List Test (COSTA, 1998). The data collection was done between June of 2005 and June of 2006, at the Language and Hearing Sciences Attendance Service of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM). Sixty two grown ups individuals with ages between 18 and 64 years old took part of the research, and among them there were 32 normal hearing and 30 individuals with sensorioneural hearing loss from mild degree to moderate-severe, evaluated at an acoustical booth. For this evaluation, the sentences were presented in sound field, at the presence of a competitive noise around 65 dB A. The incidence angle of both the stimulations was of 0º - 0º azimuth. For each person the SRN was obtained. Following this, the PISRN was verified at a fixed intensity equal to or next to the SRN one. Then, the PISRN was researched in S/N ratios with more 2.5 dB and less 2.5 dB from what was established previously. It was noticed that, for the group of people with normal hearing, the SRN were obtained in the S/R ratio of 7.57 dB A and the PISRN was equal to 57.18%. The variation of the PISRN regarding the 2.5 dB favorable alteration around SRN was of increasing 28.43% and regarding the 2.5 dB unfavorable alteration was of 32.18% of reduction. Each 1 dB of variation at the S/N relation represented a change of 12.12% in the PISRN. For the group with hearing loss the SRN were obtained in the S/R ratio of 2.10 dB A and the PISRN was equal to 56%. The variation of the PISRN regarding the 2.5 dB favorable alteration around SRN was of increasing 24.66% and regarding the 2.5 dB unfavorable alteration was of 31.33% of reduction. Each 1 dB of variation at the S/N relation represented a change of 11.20% in the PISRN. There was a difference between the groups for SRN. This difference was not noticed when comparing the PISRN in of both groups, as well as its variation regarding the S/N ratio, both favorable and unfavorable. / Ao mesmo tempo em que a sociedade atual desfruta da comodidade obtida em função da evolução da tecnologia, depara-se com um mal decorrente deste mesmo avanço: o ruído competitivo e, conseqüentemente, a dificuldade para a comunicação verbal. Não obstante, nas clínicas de audiologia cada vez se tornam mais freqüentes queixas de pessoas com dificuldade de compreensão da fala na presença de ruído, independentemente da existência de um déficit auditivo. Assim, diante da necessidade de dimensionar esta dificuldade e buscando responder a questões referentes ao reconhecimento de fala no ruído, foi realizado o presente estudo cujos objetivos foram: determinar as relações S/R em que são obtidos os limiares de reconhecimento de sentenças no ruído (LRSR) para indivíduos normo-ouvintes e para indivíduos com perda auditiva neurossensorial; estabelecer o índice percentual de reconhecimento de sentenças no ruído e a variação ocorrida neste índice com a alteração da relação S/R, para ambos os grupos; comparar os resultados dos dois grupos. Realizou-se a pesquisa a partir da aplicação do teste Listas de Sentenças em Português (COSTA, 1998). A coleta dos dados foi realizada no período de junho de 2005 a junho de 2006, no Serviço de Atendimento Fonoaudiológico da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Participaram do estudo 62 indivíduos adultos com idade entre 18 e 64 anos, sendo 32 normo-ouvintes e 30 com perda de audição neurossensorial de grau leve a moderadamente severo, avaliados em cabine acusticamente tratada. Para a avaliação, as sentenças foram apresentadas em campo livre, na presença de um ruído competitivo, na intensidade fixa de 65 dB A. O ângulo de incidência de ambos os estímulos foi de 0°- 0° azimute. Para cada indivíduo foi obtido o LRSR. A seguir, verificou-se o IPRSR em intensidade fixa igual ou próxima à do LRSR. Em seguida, o IPRSR foi pesquisado em relações S/R 2,5 dB acima e 2,5 dB abaixo da estabelecida anteriormente. Verificou-se que, para o grupo de indivíduos normo-ouvintes o LRSR foi obtido na relação S/R de -7,57 dB A e o IPRSR foi igual a 57,18%. A variação do IPRSR ocorrida com a alteração favorável de 2,5 dB em torno do LRSR foi de 28,43% de melhora e com a alteração desfavorável de 2,5 dB foi de 32,18% de redução. Cada 1 dB de variação na relação S/R representou uma mudança 12,12% no IPRSR. Para o grupo com perda auditiva neurossensorial o LRSR foi obtido na relação S/R de -2,10 dB A e o IPRSR foi igual a 56%. A variação do IPRSR ocorrida com a alteração favorável de 2,5 dB em torno do LRSR foi de 24,66% de melhora e com a alteração desfavorável de 2,5 dB foi de 31,33% de redução. Cada 1 dB de variação na relação S/R representou uma mudança 11,20% no IPRSR. Houve diferença estatística entre os grupos para os LRSR. Esta diferença não foi verificada quando comparados os IPRSR de ambos os grupos, bem como sua variação em função da relação S/R, tanto favorável quanto desfavorável.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2017-03-23T17:40:45Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE MESTRADO JERSYCA 25-10-2016.pdf: 2917570 bytes, checksum: 8cf386eb26ab6c022d59bff048258c40 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-23T17:40:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE MESTRADO JERSYCA 25-10-2016.pdf: 2917570 bytes, checksum: 8cf386eb26ab6c022d59bff048258c40 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-30 / Capes / Introdução: Na Fonoaudiologia, um dos testes utilizados para a avaliação do processamento auditivo em crianças é o Pediatric Speech Intelligibility (PSI). Já na Terapia Ocupacional, utiliza-se questionários, como o Sensory Processing Measure (SPM), para identificar alterações de processamento sensorial, dentre eles o auditivo. Uma possível correlação entre esses testes pode facilitar a identificação precoce de crianças com tais alterações. Objetivo: correlacionar o desempenho de crianças no PSI e as respostas obtidas no SPM aplicado aos pais e professores dessas crianças. Método: A pesquisa foi composta por 16 participantes com idades entre 5 e 9 anos, de ambos os sexos, estudantes de escolas públicas em Pernambuco. Inicialmente os pais e professores das crianças responderam 8 questões do SPM, e posteriormente, as crianças foram submetidas ao teste PSI na condição contra e ipsilateral. Resultados: A análise estatística mostra que o percentual de erros do teste PSI ipsilateral foi significantemente maior que o percentual de erros do PSI contralateral. Não foi observado o efeito da idade nos resultados do teste PSI e no questionário SPM. Embora não significativa (p>0,05), houve divergência entre respostas dos dois questionário (SPMS – aplicado aos pais e SPMH – aplicado aos professores). Não houve correlação entre o teste PSI e o questionário SPM respondido por professores. Conclusão: De acordo com este estudo não se pode sugerir o questionário SPM para identificação de crianças com dificuldade de processamento auditivo. / Introduction: In speech therapy, one of the tests used to assess auditory processing in children is the Pediatric Speech Intelligibility (PSI). In the Occupational Therapy, uses questionnaires, such as Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) to identify sensory processing disorders, including hearing. A correlation between these tests may facilitate early identification of children with such changes. Objective: To correlate the performance of children in the PSI and the responses obtained in the SPM applied to parents and teachers of these children. Method: The study was composed of 16 participants aged 5 to 9 years, of both gender, from public schools in Pernambuco. Initially, the parents and teachers of children answered 8 questions of SPM, and later the children were submitted to the PSI test in contralateral and ipsilateral condition. Results: Statistical analysis shows that the percentage of ipsilateral PSI test errors was significantly higher than the percentage of PSI contralateral errors. There was no effect of age on the test results PSI and SPM questionnaire. Although not significant (p> 0.05), there was disagreement between the two questionnaire responses (SPMS - applied to parents and SPMH - applied to teachers). There was no correlation between the PSI and the SPM questionnaire answered by teachers. Conclusion: According to this study we can not suggest the SPM questionnaire to identify children with difficulties in auditory processing.

The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of digitally recorded word recognition materials. Word recognition testing is included in a complete audiological evaluation to measure an individual's ability to discriminate what they hear. A phonetically balanced list of 50 monosyllabic words was presented to each participant at four different sensation levels (SL) using the American Speech Language Hearing Association recommended protocol for word recognition score testing. Each participant took a 10 minute break before the test was readministered. Participants included 40 subjects with varying levels of hearing loss, from normal hearing to severe hearing loss. The test and retest scores of all participants were analyzed to estimate the test-retest reliability to be .65 at 10 dB SL, .87 at 20 dB SL, .88 at 30 dB SL, and .95 at 40 dB SL. It was concluded that the word lists have strong test-retest reliability at 20, 30, and 40 dB SL and that the reliability increases as the presentation level increases.

Hearing is one of the most important senses for establishing a satisfying communication among people. This way, individuals stroked by different kinds of hearing losses show difficulties on speech-reception and in their ability to communicate through different ways for there is a correlation between these difficulties and the types and degrees of hearing losses. These differences make essential to the audiologist to evaluate qualitatively and individually the effects of hearing losses. The objectives of this research were to settle the the speechreception threshold in quiet (LRSS) and the signal/noise relations where was obtained the speech-reception threshold in noise (LRSR) with the use of auricular phones, using the List of Portuguese Sentences (LSP) test and comparing the LRSS results, including the LRF values from individuals who had sensorineural hearing loss with configurations of flat, descendent, and ramp loss (Ski). The test material used was composed by the Portuguese List of Sentences (LSP) proposed by Costa (1998). 46 adult individuals were evaluated, male and female gender, at the ages from 15 to 83 years old. The sample inclusion criteria were to introduce the audiological diagnostic of sensorineural hearing loss, in light and moderately severe rates, proved by previously hearing evaluation and not be hearing aid user for more than three months. The tone threshold and the speech-reception threshold in monosyllabic words and LRSS and LRSR and the relations sign/noise for each hearing loss level were obtained. The sentences and the noise (steady at 65dB NA) were introduced monaurally, by auricular phones. Through ascendant-descendent strategy (Levitt and Rabiner 1967). The results obtained show that the LRSS, and the average relation signal/noise where was obtained the LRSR for sensorineural loss in ramp, flat and descendent were respectively: 24,77 and + 0,29; 43,20 and +1,36; 41,26 and +3,09. Taking in account such results we can state that low frequencies conservation, as in sensorineural hearing loss in ramp case, contribute considerably for better results in speech-reception, so as in quiet as in noise. Each classification of hearing loss owns unique characteristics which must be investigated and took into account when involving evaluation processes, intervention and auditive rehabilitation, once the great objective to be reached is precise audilogical diagnostic and the improvement of the patient s life quality. / A audição é um dos sentidos mais importantes e necessária para que se estabeleça uma comunicação satisfatória entre as pessoas. Assim sendo, indivíduos acometidos por diferentes tipos de perdas auditivas, apresentam dificuldades no reconhecimento de fala e na sua habilidade para se comunicar, de maneiras diferentes, pois existe correlação entre as dificuldades, os tipos e graus das perdas. Estas diferenças tornam imprescindível que o audiologista avalie qualitativa e individualmente os efeitos da perda auditiva. Os objetivos desta pesquisa foram estabelecer os Limiares de Reconhecimento de Sentenças no Silêncio (LRSS) e as relações sinal/ ruído, onde foram obtidos os Limiares de Reconhecimento de Sentenças no Ruído (LRSR) com o uso de fones auriculares, utilizando o teste Listas de Sentenças em Português (LSP) e comparar os resultados dos LRSS com os valores dos Limiares de Reconhecimento de Fala (LRF) de indivíduos com perda auditiva neurossensorial com configurações de perda plana, descendente e em rampa (Ski). O material de teste utilizado foi composto pelas Listas de Sentenças em Português (LSP) proposto por Costa (1998). Foram avaliados 46 indivíduos adultos, dos gêneros masculino e feminino, com idades variando entre 15 e 83 anos. Os critérios de inclusão da amostra foram apresentar diagnóstico audiológico de perda auditiva do tipo neurossensorial, de grau leve a moderadamente severo, comprovado por prévia avaliação da audição e não ser usuário de próteses auditivas há mais de três meses. Foram obtidos os limiares tonais, os LRF, os LRSS, os LRSR e as relações sinal/ruído. As sentenças e o ruído (fixo a 65 dB NA) foram apresentados monoauralmente, por fones auriculares, através da estratégia ascendente-descendente (Levitt & Rabiner, 1967). Os resultados obtidos mostraram que os LRSS, e as relações sinal/ ruído onde foram obtidos os LRSR médios para as perdas neurossensoriais em rampa, plana, e descendente, foram, respectivamente: 24,77 e + 0,29 dB NA; 43,20 e + 1,36 dB NA; 41,26 e +3,09 dB NA. Levando em consideração tais resultados, podemos afirmar que a conservação das baixas freqüências, como é o caso da perda auditiva neurossensorial em rampa, contribuem consideravelmente para melhores resultados de reconhecimento de fala, tanto no silêncio quanto no ruído. Cada classificação de perda auditiva possui características únicas que devem ser investigadas e levadas em consideração quando envolvem os processos de avaliação, intervenção e reabilitação auditiva, uma vez que o grande objetivo a ser alcançado é um diagnóstico audiológico preciso e a melhora da qualidade de vida do paciente.

The purpose of this study was to develop digitally recorded speech audiometry materials in the Japanese language to evaluate Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) and speech discrimination. Trisyllabic words were used to evaluate the SRT and bisyllabic words were used for speech discrimination. Words were recorded by one native female talker and one native male talker who were judged as having standard Japanese dialects. Twenty native Japanese speakers between the ages of 20 and 32 were used as subjects to evaluate 69 trisyllabic words across 13 different intensity levels. The 25 trisyllabic words with the steepest psychometric function (%/dB) were selected for inclusion in the final CD. The final trisyllabic words were digitally adjusted so that the threshold of each word was equal to the mean PTA (3.42 dB HL) of all the subjects. The mean psychometric function (%/dB) at 50% for the trisyllabic words was 9.6 %/dB for the male talker and 7.7 %/dB for the female talker. The same 20 subjects were also used to evaluate 240 bisyllabic words across 10 different intensity levels. A logistic regression was used to obtain regression slopes for each of the 240 words. The 200 bisyllabic words with the steepest slope were selected for inclusion in the final CD. Four lists of 50 words each and eight half-lists of 25 words each were created from the selected bisyllabic words. A chi-square statistic revealed no significant differences among the lists or half-lists. The mean psychometric function at 50% for the bisyllabic lists and half-lists was 5.9 %/dB for the male talker and 5.2 %/dB for the female talker.

The development of digitally recorded speech audiometry materials in Mandarin Chinese has been limited to date. High quality materials proliferate in the English language and have been developed for other languages such as Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, Polish, and Russian. The aims of this study were to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and equate words and word lists in Mandarin Chinese to use for speech reception threshold testing and for speech discrimination testing. The words that were evaluated were chosen from a Chinese frequency usage dictionary. One native male and one native female talker recorded the words onto a compact disc. These words were then evaluated on 20 normally-hearing subjects, all of whom were natives of mainland China. Following the tests, the words and word lists were analyzed using logistic regression. For speech reception threshold testing, 24 Mandarin Chinese trisyllabic words with steep psychometric function slopes were selected. Their intensities were adjusted to match the mean subject pure-tone average of 3.0 dB HL. The mean slopes for these selected male and female trisyllabic words were 11.3 %/dB and 12.1 %/dB, respectively. For the speech discrimination testing, the 200 bisyllabic words with the steepest logistic regression slopes were divided among four psychometrically equivalent lists of 50 words each and eight half-lists of 25 words each. The intensity of each word list was digitally adjusted so that the threshold of each list was equal to the midpoint between the mean thresholds of the male and female half-lists. All lists were homogeneous with respect to audibility and psychometric function slope. Digital recordings of the psychometrically equivalent word lists are included on a compact disc.

A summary of the results shows that with 5 of the 9 subjects the high-frequency consonant scores indicated the same aid for the patient that the NU-6 scores indicated. In 2 cases the NU-6 indicated amplification was appropriate whereas the high-frequency consonant scores indicated amplification was not appropriate. Obviously, the high-frequency consonant scores should be considered supplemental to the NU-6 scores and not as a replacement for the NU-6. The combination of the NU-6 and the high-frequency consonant results for Subject 1 may indicate that the patient should have received further counseling and should have been taught how to communicate more effectively without an aid. The high-frequency consonant scores obtained by 2 of the subjects indicated different aids than the ones indicated by the NU-6 test and the patient preference. Perhaps the reason the patient chose an aid other than the one that would most benefit him was that he was most comfortable with the aid that allowed him to hear in the manner to which he was accustomed, even if he did not do as well with it. If a person had become accustomed to not hearing the high-frequency sounds, an aid that suddenly allowed him to hear those sounds might disturb him. The addition of high-frequency amplification might have made speech sound foreign to him. It would have been much easier for him to choose the aid that he was most comfortable with.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)