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The digits-in-noise test: assessing auditory speech recognition abilities in noise
Cas Smits1, S Theo Goverts, Joost M Festen
1Department of Otolaryngology/Audiology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.smits@vumc.nl
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|March 8, 2013
Summary
A new speech-in-noise test using digit triplets was developed to assess auditory speech recognition. This validated test accurately measures the speech reception threshold (SRT) in noise, proving feasible for older adults.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech-language pathology
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Assessing auditory speech recognition in noise is crucial for understanding hearing abilities.
- Existing tests may not fully capture bottom-up processing in challenging listening conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel speech-in-noise test using digit triplets.
- To measure auditory speech recognition abilities, specifically the speech reception threshold (SRT), in steady-state noise.
Main Methods:
- Digit triplets were created from single spoken digits, with level corrections for homogeneous stimuli.
- A 1-up, 1-down adaptive procedure was used to determine the SRT in long-term average speech-spectrum noise.
- The test was validated against a standard sentences-in-noise test in normal-hearing subjects with simulated hearing loss.
Main Results:
- The developed test demonstrated a low measurement error of 0.7 dB.
- A high correlation (r=0.96) was found between the new test and the standard test.
- No significant learning effects were observed after initial training.
Conclusions:
- The digit triplet speech-in-noise test effectively measures auditory speech recognition in noise.
- The test is validated, reliable, and feasible, with reference values established for adults over 60.
