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Keshavarzi M, Salorio-Corbetto M, Reichenbach T, Marriage J, Moore BCJ. Development of New Open-Set Speech Material for Use in Clinical Audiology with Speakers of British English. Audiol Res 2024; 14:264-279. [PMID: 38525685 PMCID: PMC10961685 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres14020024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Chear open-set performance test (COPT), which uses a carrier phrase followed by a monosyllabic test word, is intended for clinical assessment of speech recognition, evaluation of hearing-device performance, and the fine-tuning of hearing devices for speakers of British English. This paper assesses practice effects, test-retest reliability, and the variability across lists of the COPT. METHOD In experiment 1, 16 normal-hearing participants were tested using an initial version of the COPT, at three speech-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Experiment 2 used revised COPT lists, with items swapped between lists to reduce differences in difficulty across lists. In experiment 3, test-retest repeatability was assessed for stimuli presented in quiet, using 15 participants with sensorineural hearing loss. RESULTS After administration of a single practice list, no practice effects were evident. The critical difference between scores for two lists was about 2 words (out of 15) or 5 phonemes (out of 50). The mean estimated SNR required for 74% words correct was -0.56 dB, with a standard deviation across lists of 0.16 dB. For the participants with hearing loss tested in quiet, the critical difference between scores for two lists was about 3 words (out of 15) or 6 phonemes (out of 50).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Keshavarzi
- Department of Bioengineering and Centre for Neurotechnology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (M.K.); (T.R.)
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK;
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Marina Salorio-Corbetto
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK;
- Chear Ltd., Royston SG8 6QS, Herts, UK;
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Sound Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Tobias Reichenbach
- Department of Bioengineering and Centre for Neurotechnology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (M.K.); (T.R.)
- Department Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Brian C. J. Moore
- Cambridge Hearing Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK;
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Trimmis N, Chatzi K, Grammatsoulia V, Feida F, Mourtzouchos K, Papadopoulos A, Plotas P. A Greek Pediatric Word Recognition Test by Picture Identification. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1643. [PMID: 38137091 PMCID: PMC10741627 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The study aimed to construct a clinically valuable closet-set WRS test with a picture identification task for young Greek-speaking children. (2) Methods: The test material was meticulously designed based on specific criteria. To determine which parts of speech are used more frequently by preschool children, a spontaneous speech sample (250 words per child) was acquired from three hundred children aged 3 to 6 years (M = 4.56, SD = 0.90). The study involved the development and application of two phonemically balanced 50-word lists suitable for young children, as well as the creation of picture representations for each response set. All testing was accomplished in an audiometric booth that exceeded the audiometric rooms' ambient noise level standards. The speech signal was routed from a laptop computer to a GSI 61 audiometer, and all test items were delivered from the audiometer to the subject. (3) Results: The results indicated that materials for a WRS test for young children are developed with high face validity and are applicable for children as young as three years old. The test satisfies the essential components needed for a WRS test. It consists of two phonemically balanced 50-word lists with low-redundancy bisyllabic words, with each list containing 227 phonemes. (5) Conclusions: This novel closed-set WRS test presents a valuable tool for assessing speech perception skills in young Greek-speaking children. The test results have various applications, including diagnosis, research, and (re)habilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Trimmis
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (N.T.); (K.C.); (V.G.); (F.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Konstantina Chatzi
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (N.T.); (K.C.); (V.G.); (F.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Vasiliki Grammatsoulia
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (N.T.); (K.C.); (V.G.); (F.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Foteini Feida
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (N.T.); (K.C.); (V.G.); (F.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Konstantinos Mourtzouchos
- Department of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Karamandaneio Children’s Hospital of Patras, 26331 Patras, Greece
| | - Angelos Papadopoulos
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (N.T.); (K.C.); (V.G.); (F.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Panagiotis Plotas
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (N.T.); (K.C.); (V.G.); (F.F.); (A.P.)
- Laboratory Primary Health Care, School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
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Brungart DS, Sherlock LP, Kuchinsky SE, Perry TT, Bieber RE, Grant KW, Bernstein JGW. Assessment methods for determining small changes in hearing performance over time. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:3866. [PMID: 35778214 DOI: 10.1121/10.0011509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although the behavioral pure-tone threshold audiogram is considered the gold standard for quantifying hearing loss, assessment of speech understanding, especially in noise, is more relevant to quality of life but is only partly related to the audiogram. Metrics of speech understanding in noise are therefore an attractive target for assessing hearing over time. However, speech-in-noise assessments have more potential sources of variability than pure-tone threshold measures, making it a challenge to obtain results reliable enough to detect small changes in performance. This review examines the benefits and limitations of speech-understanding metrics and their application to longitudinal hearing assessment, and identifies potential sources of variability, including learning effects, differences in item difficulty, and between- and within-individual variations in effort and motivation. We conclude by recommending the integration of non-speech auditory tests, which provide information about aspects of auditory health that have reduced variability and fewer central influences than speech tests, in parallel with the traditional audiogram and speech-based assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S Brungart
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - LaGuinn P Sherlock
- Hearing Conservation and Readiness Branch, U.S. Army Public Health Center, E1570 8977 Sibert Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, USA
| | - Stefanie E Kuchinsky
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - Trevor T Perry
- Hearing Conservation and Readiness Branch, U.S. Army Public Health Center, E1570 8977 Sibert Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, USA
| | - Rebecca E Bieber
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - Ken W Grant
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
| | - Joshua G W Bernstein
- Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Building 19, Floor 5, 4954 North Palmer Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA
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Gijbels L, Yeatman JD, Lalonde K, Lee AKC. Audiovisual Speech Processing in Relationship to Phonological and Vocabulary Skills in First Graders. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2021; 64:5022-5040. [PMID: 34735292 PMCID: PMC9150669 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE It is generally accepted that adults use visual cues to improve speech intelligibility in noisy environments, but findings regarding visual speech benefit in children are mixed. We explored factors that contribute to audiovisual (AV) gain in young children's speech understanding. We examined whether there is an AV benefit to speech-in-noise recognition in children in first grade and if visual salience of phonemes influences their AV benefit. We explored if individual differences in AV speech enhancement could be explained by vocabulary knowledge, phonological awareness, or general psychophysical testing performance. METHOD Thirty-seven first graders completed online psychophysical experiments. We used an online single-interval, four-alternative forced-choice picture-pointing task with age-appropriate consonant-vowel-consonant words to measure auditory-only, visual-only, and AV word recognition in noise at -2 and -8 dB SNR. We obtained standard measures of vocabulary and phonological awareness and included a general psychophysical test to examine correlations with AV benefits. RESULTS We observed a significant overall AV gain among children in first grade. This effect was mainly attributed to the benefit at -8 dB SNR, for visually distinct targets. Individual differences were not explained by any of the child variables. Boys showed lower auditory-only performances, leading to significantly larger AV gains. CONCLUSIONS This study shows AV benefit, of distinctive visual cues, to word recognition in challenging noisy conditions in first graders. The cognitive and linguistic constraints of the task may have minimized the impact of individual differences of vocabulary and phonological awareness on AV benefit. The gender difference should be studied on a larger sample and age range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesbeth Gijbels
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Jason D. Yeatman
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, CA
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, CA
| | - Kaylah Lalonde
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Center for Hearing Research, Omaha, NE
| | - Adrian K. C. Lee
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
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