gms | German Medical Science

Background: The audiometric test procedures applied in the clinical practice are based on developments from more than 40 years ago and require revisions. New tests are being developed and applied sporadically, but are not established broadly in the clinical routine.

Methods: In this study which is performed in the scope of the Audiologie-Initiative Niedersachsen three new tests are applied to adult subjects and compared to the established audiometric tests. Depending on the type of hearing loss several collectives of subjects were formed. The new investigated tests are Categorical loudness scaling, Oldenburg sentence test with steady-state and modulated noise and Goettingen sentence test with steady-state noise. Additional the chirp-evoked brainstem responses and ASSR are planned to be included in the tested battery. The results of these tests were compared to the Freiburg, Langenbeck and SISI test, while chirp evoked ABR and ASSR shall be compared to the click evoked ABR.

Results: Up to now 31 data sets were collected in this ongoing study. The mean value of the speech reception threshold (SRT, the signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to 50% intelligibility) for the Goettingen sentence test was 0.7 dB SNR. For the Oldenburg sentence test the SRT was -0.6 dB SNR in steady state and -1.8 dB SNR in modulated noise. The mean result of the Freiburg Monosyllables at 60 dB was 41% correct. As confirmed by the SISI and Langenbeck tests the categorical loudness scaling detected recruitment for all high frequency hearing losses.

Conclusions: The categorical loudness scaling showed a good correlation with the established audiometric tests. Furthermore the tendencies determined in the sentence tests in noise are confirmed by the established speech tests in quiet.