[The Freiburg monosyllabic speech test in noise].

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech perception research
• Hearing aid technology

Background:

• The Freiburg monosyllabic speech test is used for hearing aid evaluation in Germany since 2017.
• A reference curve for normal-hearing listeners in noise is currently lacking.
• This limits the comparison of aided vs. unaided conditions and normative data.

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish a reference speech recognition curve for normal-hearing listeners using the Freiburg monosyllabic speech test.
• Analyze the perceptual consistency of test lists in continuous CCITT noise.
• Provide normative data for hearing aid evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Conducted measurements at two sites with 90 participants.
• Presented monosyllables and CCITT noise at various signal-to-noise ratios (S0N0).
• Fitted individual and test-list discrimination functions to analyze site and list variations.

Main Results:

• Established a reference speech recognition curve with a defined tolerance region.
• Identified three test lists (1, 3, 20) that perceptually deviate.
• Demonstrated the utility of the reference curve for quantifying hearing difficulties.

Conclusions:

• The reference curve allows for quantifying hearing difficulties and estimating hearing aid rehabilitation.
• The curve is specific to frontal stimulus presentation (S0N0) and continuous CCITT noise.
• Perceptually deviating lists in noise differ from those in quiet, aligning partly with existing literature.