Speech Audiometry in Quiet and in Noise
Table 2 depicts the speech intelligibility results of the free-field Freiburg monosyllables word test in quiet at 65 dB SPL and in noise at 5 dB SNR, for the unaided situation and the aided situations using the ADHEAR system and the BAHA 5 Power system. The mean speech intelligibility score in the unaided situation in quiet was 33.0 ± 36.1%, which is significantly lower than using a softband BAHA system 65 ± 32.5 % or the ADHEAR system 51.5 ± 32.4 % (all p’s < 0.05). In terms of the speech intelligibility test in noise under S0N0 condition, the mean thresholds of the unaided situation at 65 dB SPL were 17.4 ± 23.4%. Using a softband BAHA system (32.0 ± 29.2%), the mean thresholds in noise were significantly improved compared to the unaided situation (all p’s < 0.05). Using the ADHEAR system, the mean threshold (30.4 ± 28.0%) was highly significantly improved compared to the unaided situation (p < 0.001).
Figs 2A and B depict the speech intelligibility scores of the 23 ADHEAR patients (see Fig. 1) for the unaided situation and the aided situation in quiet at 65 dB SPL and in noise at 5 dB SNR, respectively. In quiet, significant differences were found in patients outside the ADHEAR indication criterion (BC PTA4 > 25 dB HL) (p < 0.05; see Fig. 2A). In noise, significant differences were found in both within and outside the indication criterion of the ADHEAR system (all p’s < 0.05). Figs 3A and B depict the speech intelligibility scores of the 10 ADHEAR & BAHA 5 Power patients (see Fig. 1) for the unaided situation and the aided situations in quiet and in noise, respectively.