speech audiometry - exam 2

Question 1

speech audiometry

Answer 1

assessment of hearing ability using a speech stimulus

Question 2

benefits of using a speech stimulus

Answer 2

natural stimulus - we rarely hear pure tones in nature

individuals may have good sensitivity but have difficulty processing speech - more complex stimulus

very useful for assessment of intervention needs - insurance only covers unless speech perception is assessed

Question 3

speech intelligibility index / audibility index

Answer 3

quantify how much speech will likely be understood from the audiogram

basically measure the same thing

Question 4

speech banana

Answer 4

we can guess what speech sounds someone will hear based on the audiogram

Question 5

speech processing levels (easiest –> hardest)

Answer 5

detection/awareness

discrimination

identification/recognition

comprehension

Question 6

which levels most common in speech audiometry

Answer 6

detection & identification

Question 7

speech stimuli options

Answer 7

monitored live voice - difficult because you have to make sure your voice is perfectly calibrated

recorded - already standardized

Question 8

speech detection threshold (SDT)

Answer 8

lowest level at which listener can detect speech

threshold for stimulus

Question 9

speech recognition test (SRT)

Answer 9

lowest level at which listener can understand speech

threshold for speech identification/recognitioin

Question 10

word recognition score (WRS)

Answer 10

ability to identify/distinguish speech at supra threshold (above threshold, usually conversation level) levels

usually done w/ background noise so more realistic

Question 11

SDT stimuli type

Answer 11

“aaaaa”

“baba”

patient’s name

Question 12

SRT stimuli type

Answer 12

spondees

(2 syllable words w/ equal stress)

hotdog
cupcake
airplane

Question 13

WRS stimuli type

Answer 13

phonetically balanced words - CVC words

25-50 words per list

Question 14

SDT procedure

Answer 14

similar to audiometry - raise hand as soon as you hear something

monitored live voice or recorded

Question 15

SDT results

Answer 15

will never be >5 dB higher than PTA

should be at or below PTA

Question 16

SDT used…

Answer 16

often in hard to test populations to confirm pure tone audiometry or as only measure of hearing threshold

Question 17

SRT results

Answer 17

level at which the listener can repeat at least 50% of spondee words correctly at a given intensity

Question 18

SRT familiarize, why?

Answer 18

recognition test, want them to know what they’re looking for

Question 19

SRT threshold search

Answer 19

same as SDT

correct REPETITION of the word, not just detection

patient repeats 3 spondees correctly at a given level

Question 20

SRT results

Answer 20

should be worse than SDT - easier to detect speech than to identify & repeat the word

should be in agreement w/ PTA (withing 5-10 dB)

Question 21

SRT better than PTA

Answer 21

may be high freq hearing loss

Question 22

SRT worse than PTA

Answer 22

elderly

central processing disorders

fakers

Question 23

WRS use

Answer 23

assess if the individual is able to understand speech when presented at a suprathreshold level

extent of speech recognition difficulty
determines retro cochlear loss

Question 24

PBK

Answer 24

WRS stimuli

phonetically balanced kindergarten

child friendly lists for kids 3.5 & younger

Question 25

WIPI

Answer 25

WRS stimuli

word intelligibility by picture identification

presented w/ 6 pictures

identify which one they heard

Question 26

NU - CHIPS

Answer 26

WRS stimuli

childrens perception of speech

similar to WPI

Question 27

WRS presentation level

Answer 27

present words at 60 dB HL (normal Convo level) for people w/ normal hearing

present 30-40 dB above SRT

can also find MCL (most comfortable listening level - “if ur listening to me on the radio, what level would you leave it at”)

Question 28

WRS procedure

Answer 28

no familiarization

report % correct for each ear & whether scores are consistent w/ audiogram (if normal –> should have 92% or better)

if scores are abnormal or have changed significantly - refer to ENT

Question 29

WRS variables

Answer 29

live-voice vs recorded

male vs female talkers

carrier phrase vs no carrier phrase

level of presentation

competing speech, SNR

Question 30

open set vs closed set

Answer 30

open = no defined list

closed = set list of words to choose from

Question 31

WRS interpretation

Answer 31

90-100 = within normal limits

75-90 = slight difficulty

60-75 = moderate difficulty

50-60 = poor

<50 = very poor

Question 32

WRS rollover

Answer 32

can be used to test for retrocochlear pathology

rollover - performance gets poorer w/ increases in level (normally - play it louder, performance stays the same)

if PBMin <45% of PBMax, VIII CN lesion is likely

Question 33

UCL

Answer 33

uncomfortable loudness

level at which speech becomes uncomfortbale

doesn’t go up w/ hearing loss, may even go down

Question 34

purpose of MCL & UCL

Answer 34

hearing aid selection & fitting

WRS presentatioin

Question 35

MCL & UCL stimuli

Answer 35

running speech

tones

Question 36

MCL & UCL procedure

Answer 36

present words at diff levels & have listener rate loudness on a scale from extremely soft to uncomfortably loud

Question 37

what type of noise should be used to mask speech

Answer 37

broadband because speech is broadband

white noise

speech-shaped noise - noise w/ a speech-like spectrum

Question 38

speech audiometry masking

Answer 38

SRT (TE) - IA >= best BC thresholds (NTE)