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KMID : 0361020210640050310
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Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
2021 Volume.64 No. 5 p.310 ~ p.320
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Clinical Importance of Sound-Field Speech Recognition Test for Measurement of Hearing Aid Benefit
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Ko Yo-Seb
Lee Jae-Hee
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Abstract
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Background and Objectives : Although sound-field speech recognition test is an essentialevaluation method to verify the benefit of hearing aids, the aided sound-field speech recognitiontest has not been used as a standard audiometric protocol. This study investigated whethera traditional measure of unaided speech recognition measured at an individual’s most comfortablelevel (MCL) can predict aided speech recognition performance and the benefit of hearingaids.
Subjects and Method : One hundred twenty-one ears (72 adult hearing aid users) with moderate,moderately severe, and severe degrees of hearing loss were tested. The word recognitionscore (WRS) and sentence recognition score (SRS) were measured at MCLs using earphones(earphone WRS and earphone SRS). From the sound-field speech audiometry, both unaidedand aided WRS and SRS were evaluated at an average conversational speech level (at 65 dBSPL) using a loudspeaker (located at 0° azimuth, 1 m). This study determined the differencesbetween earphone scores (at MCL) and aided recognition scores (at 65 dB SPL), which isknown as earphone to aided difference (EAD). Also, the hearing aid benefit was simply derivedby differences between the unaided and aided scores, both measured at 65 dB SPL.
Results : The differences between the unaided and aided scores were significantly lower witha higher degree of hearing loss, yet the earphone scores measured at MCLs did not differ acrossvaried hearing loss. More than half of the tested ears had the EAD of greater than ±10%. Theears with a higher degree of hearing loss tended to have +EAD (earphone score>aided score),whereas the ears with less hearing loss showed -EAD (earphone score≤aided score). The earphonescore measured at MCLs was not a predominant contributor to predict either aided performanceor hearing aid benefit.
Conclusion : Clinicians should not assume that the unaided speech recognition score measuredwith earphones at MCL can accurately predict aided speech recognition or the benefit ofhearing aids. Instead, it is crucial to directly assess aided sound-field speech recognition performanceat a conversational speech level.
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KEYWORD
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Aided speech recognition, Hearing aids, Sound-field test
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