Speech Audiometry - Interacoustics Affinity 2.0 Additional Information

There are many ways of applying clinical masking. Which method to use is your decision. Regardless of the
masking method channel 2 is used to occupy the better ear. In the example above channel 2 should be set
to Right (non-test ear) using the pref erred masking stimulus pref erred (usually Narrowband NB). Ensure that
Rev is ticked making the masking noise continuous. Channel 1 should be set to Left (test ear) using the
pref erred stimulus (usually Tone). You can set the masking and tone level using the buttons on the screen,
the PC keyboard, or the dedicated keyboard. While trying to establish the true threshold of the lef t ear the
right ear is now distracted with noise.
When storing a threshold while the masking is enabled, the used masking level is stored in the masking table
under the ear that is being tested. The terms 'Ef f ective masking' in this situation ref ers to the narrow band
noise level that was loud enough to ef f ectively mask a pure tone of the indicated level heard by the
unmasked ear.
1.7.5

Speech audiometry

Most people acquire hearing aids because they or their relatives report that they have trouble hearing
speech. Speech audiometry has the advantage of utilising speech signals and is used to quantif y the
patient's ability to understand everyday communication. It examines the patient's processing ability in
relation to their degree and type of hearing loss which can vary greatly between patients with the same
hearing loss conf iguration.
Speech audiometry can be perf ormed using a number of tests. For example, SRT (Speech Reception
Threshold) ref ers to the level at which the patient can repeat 50% of the presented words correctly. It serves
as a conf irmation of the pure tone audiogram, gives an index of hearing sensitivity f or speech, and helps
determine the starting point f or other supra-threshold measures such as WR (Word Recognition). WR is
sometimes also ref erred to as SDS (Speech Discrimination Scores) and represents the number of words
correctly repeated, then expressed as a percentage.
Note that there is a predictable relationship between the patient's pure tone threshold and speech reception
threshold. Speech audiometry may theref ore be usef ul as a cross-check of the pure tone audiogram.
Required items:
• The Af f inity 2.0 hardware
Licensed AC440 Audiometry module within your Af f inity
•
• Headphones, insert phones, or f ree f ield speakers
A microphone, CD player or wave f iles
•
D-0004576-Q – 2022/05
Affinity/Equinox2.0 – Additional Information
2.0 hardware
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