Measurement and predictions of hearing handicap using an additive noise model.

Abstract

The ability to accurately, quickly, and reliably measure speech intelligibility in noise is an essential requirement for assessing the benefit of hearing aids to speech communication in noisy environments. Measurement error caused by variability of speech materials, content, speaking styles, talkers, and spectral characteristics of noise maskers often make accurate intelligibility measurements impractical. This paper will review measurements of speech intelligibility as applied to the hearing impaired. Emphasis will be placed on Dutch sentence tests developed by Plomp [e.g., R. Plomp, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 63, 533–549 (1978)] and on recent English sentence tests we have developed, which control many of the sources of measurement error. Test development procedures will be described, and a summary of initial results will be used to demonstrate the reliability of the tests for both group and individual assessment of intelligibility in noise.