Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Results in using the Freiburger monosyllabic speech test in noise without and with hearing aids

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Freiburger Speech Test (FST) has been the gold standard in speech testing by word recognition score in Germany for many years. Recently, it has been demonstrated that for an amount of 104 test-persons there is no significant deviation within the lists. The objective of this study was to determine the percentiles of the distinct measuring situations in quiet and with noise (e.g. applied in hearing aid fitting) and the average benefit using hearing aids. In this prospective study, 623 patients with SNHL and equipped with hearing aids for at least 3 months have been investigated by means of the Freiburger monosyllabic test (FBE) without and with hearing aids and in quiet or with noise (CCITT noise, 65/60 dB signal–noise ratio) in free field conditions at 65 dB to determine the ratio of intelligibility. To investigate the different diagnostic conditions a linear mixed model was applied. The dependent binary variable corresponds to the number of understood syllables. The average age of all subjects was about 72.6 years. The average rate of understanding in the FBE without hearing aids and in quiet was 38.5 %, with hearing aids and in quiet 67.7 %, without hearing aids and with noise 22.4 %, and with hearing aids and with noise 39.8 %. All results were presented with the depending confidence intervals. The extent of hearing loss and the quality of hearing aid fitting can be successfully measured using the FST in quiet and with background noise (CCITT noise). In quiet, an average hearing improving gain of 29.2 % points and with noise a gain of 17.4 % points could be estimated with a successful hearing aid fitting.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  1. Baiduc RA, Poling GL, Hong O, Dhar S (2013) Clinical measures of auditory function: the cochlea and beyond. Dis Month 59:147–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Picheny MA, Durlach NI, Braidda LD (1985) Speaking clearly for the hard of hearing I: intelligibility differences between clear and conversational speech. J Speech Hear Res 28:96–103

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Freyman RL, Helfer KS, McCall DD, Clifton RK (1999) The role of perceived spatial separation in the unmasking of speech. J Acoust Soc Am 106:3578–3588

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Taylor BJ (2003) Speech in noise tests: how and why to include them in your basis test battery. Hear J 56:40–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hahlbrock KH (1953) Über Sprachaudiometrie und neue Wörterteste. Arch Ohren Nasen Kehlkopfheilkd 162:394–431

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bangert H (1980) Probleme bei der Ermittlung des Diskriminationsverlustes nach dem Freiburger Sprachtest. Audiol Akustik 19:166–170

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ahlich G (1985) Anmerkungen zum Freiburger Sprachverständnistest. Sprache Stimme Gehör 9:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  8. Sesterhenn G (1985) in [9]

  9. Wedel H (1986) Untersuchungen zum Freiburger Sprachtest-Vergleichbarkeit der Gruppen im Hinblick auf Diagnose und Rehabilitation (Hörgeräteanpassung und Hörtraining). Audiol Akustik 25:60–73

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hahlbrock H (1970) Sprachaudiometrie. Grundlagen und praktische Anwendung einer Sprachaudiometrie für das deutsche Sprachgebiet, 2nd edn. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  11. Brinkmann K (1974) Die Neuaufnahme der “Wörter für Gehörprüfung mit Sprache”. Z Audiologie 13:12–40

    Google Scholar 

  12. DIN EN ISO 45626-1 (1995) Tonträger mit Sprache für Gehörprüfung. part 1: Tonträger mit Wörtern nach DIN 45621-1 (Aufnahme 1969). Beuth, Berlin

  13. Böhme G, Welzl-Müller K (2004) In: Audiometrie. Hörprüfungen im Erwachsenen-und Kindesalter, 5th edn. Verlag Hans Huber, Bern

  14. Löhler J, Akcicek B, Pilnik M, Saager-Post K, Dazert S, Biedron S, Oeken J, Mürbe D, Löbert J, Laszig R, Langer Ch, Wesarg Th, Plontke S, Rahne T, Machate U, Noppeney R, Schultz K, Plinkert P, Hoth S, Praetorius M, Schlattmann P, Meister EF, Pau HW, Ehrt K, Hagen R, Shehata-Dieler W, Cebulla M, Walther LE, Ernst A (2012) Die Evaluation des Freiburger Einsilbertests im Störschall. HNO 61:586–591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kollmeier B, Wesselkamp M (1997) Development and evaluation of a German sentence test for objective and subjective speech intelligibility assessment. J Acoust Soc Am 102:2412–2421

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Thiele C, Sukowski H, Lenarz T, Lesinski-Schiedat A (2012) Göttinger Satztest im Störgeräusch für verschiedene Gruppen von Schwerhörigkeit. Laryngo Rhino Otol 91:782–788

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Mrowinski D, Scholz G (2005) Sprachaudiometrie. In: Audiometrie-Eine praktische Anleitung, Georg Thieme, Stuttgart

  18. Kollmeier B, Lenarz T, Winkler A, Zokoll MA, Sukowski H, Brand T, Wagener KC (2011) Hörgeräteindikation und-überprüfung nach modernen Verfahren der Sprachaudiometrie im Deutschen. HNO 59:1012–1021

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kießling J (2010) Moderne Sprachtests auf dem Weg von der Forschung in die Praxis. HNO 58:595–596

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Killion MC (2002) New thinking on hearing in noise: a generalized articulation index. Semin Hear 23:57–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Wilson RH, McArdle R (2005) Speech signals used to evaluate the functional status of the auditory system. J Rehabil Res Dev 42:79–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. DIN EN ISO 8253-1 (2011) Akustik—Audiometrische Prüfverfahren—part 1: Grundlegende Verfahren der Luft-und Knochenleitungs-Schwellenaudiometrie mit reinen Tönen. Beuth, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  23. DIN EN ISO 8253-2 (2010) Akustik—Audiometrische Prüfverfahren—Part 2: Schallfeld-Audiometrie mit reinen Tönen und schmalbandigen Prüfsignalen. Beuth, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  24. DIN EN ISO 8253-3 (2012) Akustik—Audiometrische Prüfverfahren—Part 3: Sprachaudiometrie. Beuth, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  25. DIN EN ISO 7029:2000 (2001) Akustik-Statistische Verteilung von Hörschwellen als ei ne Funktion des Alters. Beuth, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  26. http://www.g-ba.de/informationen/richtlinien/13/. Accessed 11 Apr 2014

  27. ITU-T Recommendation G.227, International analogue carrier systems—general characteristics common to all analogue carrier-transmissio systems—conventional telephone signal. http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-A.15-198811-S

  28. Skrondal A, Rabe-Hesketh S (2009) Prediction in multilevel generalized linear models. J R Statist Soc A 172:659–687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. R Core Team, R Foundation for Statistical Computing (2013) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria http://www.R-project.org/

  30. Schwarzer G (2013) Meta-Analysis with R. R pac kage version 2.3-0. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=meta. Accessed 11 Apr 2014

  31. Lehnardt E, Laszig R (2009) Praxis der Audiom etrie. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart

    Book  Google Scholar 

  32. http://www.g-ba.de/downloads/40-268-1897/2012-03-15_HilfsM-RL_Neufassung-Hoerhilfen_TrG.pdf. Accessed 11 Apr 2014

Download references

Conflict of interest

There is no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for Applied Otolaryngology (WIAHNO), German Professional Society of ENT Physicians, A Non-profit Organization, Bramstedt, Germany

    J. Löhler & B. Akcicek

  2. University Hospital Schleswig–Holstein, Lübeck Campus, Hospital for ENT, Luebeck, Germany

    J. Löhler, B. Wollenberg & R. Schönweiler

  3. ENT Practice Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

    L. Verges

  4. ENT Practice Fussen, Fussen, Germany

    Ch. Langer

  5. ENT Practice Hamburg-Mundsburg, Hamburg, Germany

    U. Machate, R. Noppeney & K. Schultz

  6. ENT Practice Rendsburg, Rendsburg, Germany

    J. Kleeberg

  7. ENT Practice Starnberg, Starnberg, Germany

    B. Junge-Hülsing

  8. University ENT Hospital Mannnheim and ENT Centre Sulzbach/Taunus, Mannheim, Germany

    L. E. Walther

  9. Institute for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Documentation, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany

    P. Schlattmann

  10. Trauma Center Berlin, ENT Hospital, Berlin, Germany

    A. Ernst

Authors
  1. J. Löhler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. Akcicek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Wollenberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Schönweiler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  5. L. Verges
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ch. Langer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  7. U. Machate
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  8. R. Noppeney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  9. K. Schultz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  10. J. Kleeberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  11. B. Junge-Hülsing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  12. L. E. Walther
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  13. P. Schlattmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  14. A. Ernst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Löhler.

Additional information

In the honor of Prof. Dr med. Karl-Heinz Hahlbrock (14 October 1917–27 July 2003) in memoriam on the 60th anniversary of the publication “Über Sprachaudiometrie und neue Wörterteste” [“On Speech Audiometry and New Word Tests”] published in 1953.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Löhler, J., Akcicek, B., Wollenberg, B. et al. Results in using the Freiburger monosyllabic speech test in noise without and with hearing aids. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 272, 2135–2142 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3039-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3039-x

Keywords