Development and use of auditory compact discs in auditory evaluation

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• The Department of Veterans Affairs developed audio compact discs to improve auditory function assessment.
• Existing audiological evaluations require diverse speech and tonal materials for comprehensive testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce two audio compact discs designed for auditory function assessment.
• Disc 1.1 provides materials for routine evaluations, while the second disc offers advanced testing materials.

Main Methods:

• Development of "Speech Recognition and Identification Materials, Disc 1.1" (second generation).
• Inclusion of spondaic words, monosyllabic word tests (e.g., CID W-22, NU No. 6), and Synthetic Sentence Identification.
• Production of the "Tonal and Speech Materials for Auditory Perceptual Assessment" disc with advanced materials.

Main Results:

• Disc 1.1 contains essential speech materials for standard audiological evaluations.
• The second disc includes complex tonal and speech materials for in-depth auditory perception assessment.
• Materials on the second disc feature spondaic words, dichotic tests, compressed speech, and tone patterns.

Conclusions:

• These compact discs represent valuable resources for audiologists.
• The materials facilitate both routine and specialized auditory assessments.
• The development enhances the diagnostic toolkit for auditory function evaluation.