Lecture 5

Question 1

Speech audiometry

Answer 1

Measure of communication difficulty
Diagnostic information for site of lesion
Reliability check

Question 2

SA: measure of communication difficulty

Answer 2

How clear? Loud? To be audible? Intelligible?
- must be audible, recognized and processed
What is comfortable?
SRT & SAT

Question 3

SRT (speech recognition threshold)

Answer 3

Lowest level at which the subject can correctly repeat test words 50% of the time
Stimuli: spondee words (two syllable with equal stress on each syllable), closed set, subject is familiarized
Recorded speech is more reliable

Question 4

SAT (speech awareness threshold)

Answer 4

Due to developmental level, may not be able to do SRT
The lowest level as which the subject can just discern the presence of speech 50% of the time
Tends to be about 10dB better than SRT

Question 5

WRT (word recognition score)

Answer 5

Percent of correctly repeated words usually presented at a supra-threshold level, typically 30-40 dB SL above threshold
Stimuli: phonetically-balanced monosyllabic words, open set, no familiarization
Used as a comparison, does turning up the dB help the score?
Retrocochlear hearing loss drops off in accuracy at high dBs

Question 6

PTA vs SRT

Answer 6

They should be within 10 dB of each other for good reliability

Question 7

Which children should be referred?

Answer 7

Neonatal: low birth weight, TORCH, family history, visible craniofacial abnormality
Speech language problems
Middle ear history
Illness
Parental or teacher concern

Question 8

Behavioural observation audiometry (BOA)

Answer 8

For 0-4 months

• non conditioned response
• notoriously unreliable
• startle reflex, eyeblink, sleep arousal, change in sucking rate

Question 9

Visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA)

Answer 9

For 4 months to 2 years

• conditioned head turn response to auditory stimulus
• can be quite reliable

Question 10

Play audiometry

Answer 10

For ages 2-4 years

• conditioned response
• rings on pegs, marbles, dog food