Lesson 23: Masking for Speech Audiometry Key Terms
Rule for masking for SRT for insert earphones
Deliver speech spectrum masking to the NTE when the difference between the unmasked SRT of the TE and the best BC threshold of the NTE is greater than or equal to 60 dB at 500, 1000, 2000 or 4000 Hz.
Purpose of masking for speech audiometry
To eliminate participation from the NTE during the measurements being conducted on the TE.
Initial masking level for SRT
Unmasked SRT of the NTE + 10 dB
Rule for masking for WR for insert earphones
Deliver speech spectrum masking noise to the NTE when the difference between the presentation level of the TE and the best BC threshold of the NTE is greater than or equal to 60 dB at 500, 1000, 2000, or 4000 Hz
Speech noise
The masking noise used for speech audiometry
Initial masking level for WR testing
PLTE minus 20 dB.
Rule for masking for SRT for supra-aural and circumaural earphones
Deliver speech spectrum masking to the NTE when the difference between the unmasked SRT of the TE and then best BC threshold of the NTE is greater than or equal to 40 dB at 500, 1000, 2000, or 4000 Hz.
Rule for masking for WR for supra-aural and circumaural headphones
Deliver speech spectrum masking noise to the NTE when the difference between the presentation level of the TE and the best BC threshold of the NTE is greater than or equal to 40 dB at 500, 1000, 2000, or 4000 Hz.
Lesson 24: Additional Testing for the Hearing Aid Fitting Key Terms
Threshold of Discomfort (TD)
Also known as UCL or LDL. The intensity at which sound becomes uncomfortably loud. Can be frequency-specific pure tone or for speech. This term is less commonly used than UCL or LDL.
Uncomfortable Loudness Level (UCL)
Also known as LCL or TD. The intensity at which sound becomes uncomfortably loud. Can be frequency-specific pure tone or for speech.
Binaural interference
The phenomenon whereby a patient’s WR scores decrease when listening with both ears.
Loudness Discomfort Level (LDL)
Also known as UCL or TD. The intensity at which sound becomes uncomfortably loud. Can be frequency-specific pure tone or for speech.
Dynamic Range
The residual auditory area or mathematical difference between the pure tone thresholds and their corresponding pure tone UCLs.
QuickSIN
Test developed by Etymotic Research to measure a patient’s signal-to-noise ratio pb(SNR) loss. Provides information about the patient’s ability to understand speech in the presence of background noise.
Chapter 9 Test
Which test can be used to enhance counseling, impact the selection of amplification technology, suggest programming that may be beneficial to the patient/client, and complete fitting verification?
A.
Speech UCL
14.02%
B.
Word recognition
22.26%
C.
QuickSIN
63.72%
Question 2 of 18
What is the outcome of a Fourier analysis?
A.
waveform
31.71%
B.
spectrum
52.74%
C.
sinusoid
15.55%
A patient/client comes for a hearing evaluation. They complain that they have a hard time understanding speech, especially in the presence of background noise. The hearing aid specialist wants a better understanding of which frequencies cause the most difficulty for the patient/client. Which tool should the hearing aid specialist use?
correct answer
A.
Count-the-Dots Audiogram
35.06%
B.
Hearing in Noise Test
54.12%
C.
Word recognition score
10.82%
Refer to the exhibit. How should the hearing aid specialist explain the functional impact of the right ear AC thresholds on hearing and understanding speech at average conversational levels to the patient/client?
A.
you are unable to hear many consonant speech sounds
90.85%
B.
you are unable to hear the vowel sounds in speech clearly
6.86%
C.
you can hear all the sounds of speech but only very faintly
2.29%
What are phonemes?
A.
discrete sounds found in speech
76.07%
B.
complex speech sound patterns
7.47%
C.
vowel and consonant combinations
16.46%
Best practice dictates that speech audiometry should be completed using what?
A.
monitored live voice speech presentations
4.73%
B.
recorded and calibrated speech stimuli
89.48%
C.
some live voice and some recorded materials
5.79%
A hearing aid specialist is performing word recognition testing with a patient/client using the NU-6 Ordered by Difficulty word list. The patient/client makes three errors in the first ten words on the list. How should the hearing aid specialist proceed?
A.
ask 15 more words
73.32%
B.
end the WR test
4.12%
C.
ask 40 more words
22.56%
Refer to the exhibit. What is the correct presentation level for word recognition testing in the right ear?
A.
80 dB HL
69.05%
B.
85 dB HL
20.88%
C.
90 dB HL
10.06%
What must be determined to correctly apply the masking rules for speech audiometry?
A.
patient/client listening challenges
2.29%
B.
speech intelligibility index
6.86%
C.
pure tone AC and BC thresholds
90.85%
Refer to the exhibit. Insert earphones were used for this audiogram. The unmasked SRT of the right ear is 30 dB. Which test(s) require masking for the left ear?
A.
SRT only
21.95%
B.
WR and SRT
35.67%
C.
WR only
42.38%
Which method is used to determine both pure tone and speech recognition thresholds?
A.
ascending
10.98%
B.
descending
9.45%
C.
bracketing
79.57%
Which speech-in-noise test measures a patient’s/client’s tolerance for background noise?
correct answer
A.
ANL
31.25%
B.
SPIN
7.62%
C.
QuickSIN
61.13%
Refer to the exhibit. At which frequencies is the dynamic range reduced?
A.
low
6.55%
B.
mid
14.18%
C.
high
79.27%
What is the functional impact of upward spread of masking?
A.
high frequency ambient noise masks low frequencies which decreases speech audibility
12.65%
B.
low frequency noise masks high frequencies which decreases speech intelligibility
73.32%
C.
low frequency background noise masks low frequencies which impacts speech intelligibility
14.02%
Refer to the exhibits. Supra-aural earphones were used for this audiogram. What should the starting intensity of masking noise be for masked SRT testing of the right ear?
A.
70 dB
29.42%
B.
75 dB
13.57%
C.
60 dB
57.01%
What is the starting presentation intensity for determining MCL?
A.
2k Hz LDL - 5 dB
6.25%
B.
SRT plus 20 dB
82.32%
C.
PTA plus 30 dB
11.43%
An elderly patient/client comes to the office for a hearing evaluation. They do not speak very much English and have severe arthritis in both hands. The hearing aid specialist is determining the speech uncomfortable loudness level. Which response method should the hearing aid specialist utilize?
A.
visual aid for UCL
77.13%
B.
verbal response
17.23%
C.
response button
5.64%
Noise and vowels are examples of what kinds of sounds?
