Speech-in-Noise Testing: An Introduction for Audiologists

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Hearing Science

Background:

• Speech-in-noise testing is a long-standing component of audiology.
• Clinical adoption of speech-in-noise tests is hindered by various barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide audiologists with a resource on available speech-in-noise tests.
• To outline the rationale and selection considerations for clinical speech-in-noise tests.
• To compare outcomes of four specific speech-in-noise tests across different age and hearing groups.

Main Methods:

• Four speech-in-noise tests were administered: QuickSIN, Words in Noise (WIN), Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences (LiSN-S), and Coordinate Response Measure (CRM).
• Participants included 30 individuals across three groups: young normal hearing, older normal hearing, and older hearing loss adults.
• Performance outcomes were analyzed as a function of age and hearing status.

Main Results:

• Significant performance differences were observed between the age and hearing groups.
• Considerable overlap in performance was found between groups, highlighting the importance of individual results.
• Individual performance data proved more informative than group classifications.

Conclusions:

• Audiologists must carefully consider testing goals and desired outcomes when selecting speech-in-noise tests.
• Individual performance variability necessitates careful interpretation of results, regardless of group.
• A resource table and appendix are provided to assist clinicians in test selection.