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Word discrimination for listeners with flat sensorineural hearing losses
The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders
|May 1, 1977
Summary
Listeners with flat sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) generally maintain good word discrimination, even with moderate impairment. However, intelligibility declines significantly with hearing losses of 60 dB or greater.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech Perception
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Background:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) affects speech understanding.
- Previous research indicated varied outcomes for speech discrimination in SNHL.
- Flat SNHL audiometric configurations are common.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate word discrimination abilities in individuals with flat SNHL.
- To analyze the impact of hearing loss severity and age on discrimination.
- To compare discrimination based on three-frequency vs. five-frequency hearing level averages.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of discrimination scores from 742 ears with flat SNHL.
- Data categorized by degree of hearing impairment (dB HL) and subject age.
- Comparison of word discrimination using three-frequency and five-frequency averages.
Main Results:
- Average listeners with hearing levels < 60 dB HL demonstrated 70% or better discrimination.
- A 10-20% decline in intelligibility was observed for hearing losses ≥ 60 dB HL.
- Listener performance decreased with age, particularly in those with severe hearing loss.
Conclusions:
- Flat SNHL listeners retain good discrimination below 60 dB HL.
- Significant intelligibility reduction occurs with more severe flat SNHL.
- Age is a contributing factor to reduced discrimination in severe SNHL.
- Three- and five-frequency averages yield similar discrimination results.