Clinical importance of binaural information: Extending auditory assessment in clinical populations using a portable testing platform

Anna C. Diedesch, S. J. Adelaide Bock, Frederick J. Gallun

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use variability on tests of basic auditory processing to allow identification of those tests that could be used clinically to describe functional hearing ability beyond the pure-tone audiogram and clinical speech-in-noise tests. Method: Psychoacoustic tests implemented using the Portable Automated Rapid Testing system on a calibrated iPad were evaluated for nine young normal-hearing participants (Mage = 21.3, SD = 2.5) and seven hearing-impaired participants (Mage =64.9,SD = 13.5). Participants completed 10 psychoacoustic subtests in a quiet room. Correlational analyses were used to compare performance on the psychoacoustic test battery with performance on a clinical speech-in-noise test and with the 4-frequency pure-tone average (4FreqPTA). Results: Spectral processing ability was highly correlated with 4FreqPTA, and temporal processing ability showed minimal variability across the hearing-impaired group. Tests involving binaural processing captured variability across hearing-impaired listeners not associated with 4FreqPTA or speech-in-noise performance. Conclusions: Tests that capture the ability to use binaural cues may add information to what current clinical protocols reveal about patients with auditory complaints. Further testing with a larger sample size is needed to confirm the need for binaural measurements and to develop normative data for clinical settings.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)655-668
Number of pages14
JournalAmerican journal of audiology
Volume30
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Speech and Hearing

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