Calibrated finger rub auditory screening test (CALFRAST)

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Audiology
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Auditory function assessment is crucial in neurologic exams.
• Hearing loss is a common disability.
• Existing bedside auditory tests are often unreliable and cumbersome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the calibrated finger rub auditory screening test (CALFRAST) as a routine diagnostic tool.
• To determine the accuracy and reliability of CALFRAST.
• To compare CALFRAST with audiometric measures.

Main Methods:

• Measured sound spectrum and intensity of finger rub against background noise.
• Recruited patients and companions from a neurology clinic.
• Assessed CALFRAST thresholds (strong and faint rub) and compared with audiometric measures (normal threshold 25 dB).

Main Results:

• Examined 221 subjects (442 ears), with 39% having hearing loss.
• CALFRAST-Strong 70 showed 100% specificity and positive predictive value.
• CALFRAST-Faint 70 demonstrated 99% sensitivity and negative predictive value, with excellent discrimination (AUC 0.94) and reliability (kappa >0.8).

Conclusions:

• CALFRAST is a simple, accurate, inexpensive, and reliable auditory screening test.
• It effectively identifies auditory impairment.
• CALFRAST can enhance the efficiency of routine auditory screening in clinical practice.