Affiliation:
1. ECHO Laboratory, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
2. Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Boston University, MA
Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate potential reasons for the mismatch between laboratory/clinic-based sentence-in-noise performance and real-world listening abilities, we recently developed a corpus of natural, spontaneously spoken speech with three vocal effort levels (Everyday Conversational Sentences in Noise [ECO-SiN]). Here, we examined the feasibility of using the ECO-SiN corpus for adaptive speech-in-noise testing, which might be a desirable format in certain situations (e.g., during a clinical visit).
Method:
Ten young, normal-hearing adults, along with 20 older adults with hearing loss participated in the study. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were obtained using ECO-SiN sentences, which were systematically compared to the SRTs obtained using traditional Bamford-Kowal-Bench–like sentences.
Results:
Results demonstrated the properties of the test compared favorably with those of a standard test based on scripted and clearly spoken sentences. Moreover, whereas normal-hearing listeners received a benefit from an increase in vocal effort, the participants with hearing loss showed a disbenefit that increased with increasing hearing loss.
Conclusion:
The adaptive version of the ECO-SiN test is feasible for research and clinical testing.
Supplemental Material:
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25146338
Publisher
American Speech Language Hearing Association