Development of the Mandarin Digit-in-Noise Test and Examination of the Effect of the Number of Digits Used in the Test

The Effect of Dialect and Accent on Digit Perception in Noise in Young Listeners With Normal Hearing

PURPOSE

Dialect and accent factors can impact speech-in-noise testing outcomes. This study investigated these effects on the Integrated Digit-in-Noise (iDIN) test among young adults with normal hearing.

METHOD

Dialects involve variations in grammar, vocabulary, and syntax, while accents influence only pronunciation, reflecting geographical or social origins. In Study 1, which examined dialect effects, 33 participants-all native speakers of Mandarin and various Wu dialects except Ningboese-underwent iDIN testing in both Ningboese and Mandarin (as a reference condition). In Study 2, which focused on accent effects, 39 participants-all native speakers of Mandarin and Ningboese, including 19 standard Ningboese and 20 accented Ningboese speakers -underwent iDIN testing in both Mandarin and standard Ningboese at fixed signal-to-noise ratio and adaptive measurements.

RESULTS

In Study 1, the results revealed statistically significant differences between the Mandarin and Ningboese iDIN results across all conditions except for the 2-digit sequences. In Study 2, the results showed no significant differences in 3-digit SRTs between standard and accented Ningboese speakers, but a significant difference in 5-digit SRTs.

CONCLUSIONS

In Mainland China or other regions with high linguistic diversity, accounting for dialect and accent exposure is crucial in evaluating speech recognition, and a 2-digit DIN may be more suitable for valid hearing screening.

Integrated digit in noise test (iDIN) for rapid hearing and cognitive screening: a preliminary exploration

BACKGROUND

Hearing and cognitive impairments are common amongst older adults, both affecting communication and are not easy to distinguish from each other.

OBJECTIVE

To preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the integrated Digit in Noise Test (iDIN) for rapid screening of hearing and cognitive functions in older adults.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional cohort study was conducted at multiple clinical sites.

SETTING

Data collection occurred in sound-treated booths and quiet rooms at several outpatient clinics and elderly community centres.

SUBJECTS

The study included 107 older adults, aged 58-96, who were long-term residents of Hong Kong and native Cantonese speakers. Participants were selected through convenience sampling.

METHODS

Primary outcomes were the speech reception thresholds (SRTs) for 2-, 3- and 5-digit sequences with forward and 3-digit sequences with backward recall measured on iDIN. Hearing level was assessed using pure-tone audiometry. Cognitive function was assessed using the Hong Kong version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA).

RESULTS

The 2-digit and 3-digit SRTs effectively distinguished participants with hearing loss, demonstrating high sensitivity (0.815 and 0.908, respectively) and specificity (0.905 and 0.853, respectively). The SRT3b-3f index effectively discriminated between participants who passed or failed the MoCA, with sensitivities of 0.727 and 0.781, and specificities of 0.885 and 0.787 using the two MoCA scoring methods. No significant correlation was found between SRT3b-3f and hearing levels after adjustment for educational background.

CONCLUSIONS

iDIN demonstrates significant promise for rapid and effective screening of both hearing and cognitive impairments in older adults.

Development and validation of the Italian digit-in-noise test

Objectives

This research aims to validate the digits-in-noise (DIN) test for the Italian language and develop a version capable of independently assessing both ears while maintaining acceptable administration times.

Methods

Individual digits from 0 to 9 in Italian were recorded and adjusted to equalise recognition probabilities. An iOS application (APP) was developed for the independent ear test using triplets in noise. The application incorporates a new proprietary adaptive procedure developed by Amplifon to minimise the number of steps required to determine the Speech Reception Threshold (SRT).

Thirty-nine subjects were recruited for equalisation of digits, 45 normal-hearing and 62 with various degrees of hearing loss for normative-data assessment.

Results

The results demonstrate the ability to determine a threshold value for normal hearing consistent with the existing literature and identify threshold values corresponding to the main World Health Organization hearing loss categories.

Conclusions

A DIN test for the Italian language has been developed and validated to evaluate the SRT of each ear individually. The adaptive algorithm optimises the necessary steps while maintaining acceptable test duration for both ears. Users can autonomously conduct the test using a standard personal iOS device (tablet or smartphone).

Development of the mandarin reading span test and confirmation of its relationship with speech perception in noise

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a dual-task Mandarin Reading Span Test (RST) to assess verbal working memory related to speech perception in noise.

DESIGN

The test material was developed taking into account psycholinguistic factors (i.e. sentence structure, number of syllables, word familiarity, and sentences plausibility), to achieve good test reliability and face validity. The relationship between the 28-sentence Mandarin RST and speech perception in noise was confirmed using three speech perception in noise measures containing varying levels of contextual and linguistic information.

STUDY SAMPLE

The study comprised 42 young adults with normal hearing and 56 older adult who were hearing aid users with moderate to severe hearing loss.

RESULTS

In older hearing aid users, the 28-sentence RST showed significant correlation with speech reception thresholds as measured by three Mandarin sentence in noise tests (rs or r = -.681 to -.419) but not with the 2-digit sequence Digit-in-Noise Test.

CONCLUSION

The newly developed dual-task Mandarin RST, constructed with careful psycholinguistic consideration, demonstrates a significant relationship with sentence perception in noise. This suggests that the Mandarin RST could serve as a measure of verbal working memory.

Evaluating psychometric properties of the Cantonese integrated Digit-in-Noise Test: perhaps the 2-digit sequence can also be used for hearing screening

OBJECTIVE

This study developed and validated the Cantonese integrated Digit-in-Noise Test (iDIN) for speech-in-noise measurement and hearing screening.

DESIGN

The development of the Cantonese iDIN followed the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology guidelines. Its psychometric properties, including normative data, psychometric function, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity, were established. Additionally, a preliminary comparison of the effectiveness of 2- and 3-digit SRTs in hearing screening was conducted.

STUDY SAMPLE

The sample included 40 young adults with normal hearing and 65 older adults, with and without hearing loss.

RESULTS

Mean SRTs for 2-, 3-, and 5-digit with forward recall were -11.5 ± 1.3, -12.0 ± 1.0, and -11.3 ± 0.9 dB SNR in young adults, respectively. The slopes for the psychometric functions of these sequences were 20.26, 18.61, and 19.10 %/dB, respectively, and measurement errors were 0.80, 0.61, and 0.71 dB. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the 2- and 3-digit SRTs were .941 and .974, indicating high discriminative ability in hearing screening.

CONCLUSIONS

The Cantonese iDIN shows robust psychometric properties. Despite the 3-digit test's slightly better screening performance, shorter test during associated with the 2-digit suggests its potential for hearing screening.