The use of speech audiometry in the practice of the geriatric center

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate a new test of speech audiometry while examining aged patients. Thirty-two aged listeners from 60 to 88 years old were examined: 20 hearing aid (HA) users and 12 patients with normal hearing thresholds and mild cognitive impairment according to the results of the minimental state examination (MMSE). The speech audiometry consisted of the traditional polysyllabic word discrimination test and a new speech test with motor responses (Verbal Tasks and Motor Responses—VTMR); in both tests the speech signal was presented in background noise (polyphony) in free field. All listeners performed the VTMR test significantly better than the polysyllabic word discrimination test. In the group of hearingimpaired patients the mean result in the VTMR test was 73.2 ± 29.2% without a HA and 88.6 ± 20.5% with it; in the traditional test, 34.8 ± 20.9% without a HA and 56.0 ± 18.4% with it. All patients of the group with normal hearing and mild cognitive impairment performed the VTMR test with a 100% result, their speech discrimination score in traditional test was 88.0 ± 12.0%. In the practice of the geriatric center the use of both traditional speech audiometry and the new speech test with motor responses seems to be reasonable. It allows examining the auditory function in patients with significant deterioration of speech intelligibility or cognitive impairment.