Hearing Loss, Screening
Conditions
Keywords
Audiometry, Speech, Speech Perception, Speech Reception Threshold Test, Speech Intelligibility, Speech, Auditory Threshold, Child, Preschool
Brief summary
The objective of this study was to offer a comprehensive framework for the adaptation of speech audiometric tests into other languages. To date, this is the first universal protocol of its kind that systematically considers linguistic, phonological, and audiological aspects. The present paper provides a protocol and an example for adaptation and standardization of the Mainzer Audiometric Test for Children (MATCH) to another language.
Detailed description
To evaluate auditory function in children, speech audiometry is widely used in routine clinical settings across many countries. However, appropriate test materials are not available in several languages to date. Adapting a speech audiometry test to another language poses a significant challenge. The objective of this study was to offer a comprehensive framework for the adaptation of speech audiometric tests into other languages. To date, this is the first universal protocol of its kind that systematically considers linguistic, phonological, and audiological aspects. The present paper is a methodological study for instrument translation; it provides a protocol and example for adaptation and standardization of the Mainzer Audiometric Test for Children (MATCH) to another language. The prospective adaptation process is divided into six phases: identifying test items and validating picture recognizability among children; ensuring linguistic conformity by comparing the phoneme distribution of the test vocabulary to spontaneous speech reference data; recording the speech material in a sound-treated environment following International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards; equalizing the intelligibility of the recorded items through speech recognition testing in adults; standardizing the test on a cohort of normal-hearing children aged 3-6 years, stratified by age; finally, the diagnostic validity of the adapted test is evaluated by comparing speech recognition thresholds to pure-tone audiometry results in a clinical sample. Additionally, to determine sensitivity, specificity, and optimal cutoff points for detecting hearing loss, ROC analysis is used.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Semmelweis University
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Study design
Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
2 Years to 7 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age: limits for age groups: 2-4,5; 4,5-5,5; 5,5-7, respectively. * For control goups: normal hearing verified by pure tone audiometry and tympanometry * For hearing-impairment groups: stable sensorineural hearing loss confirmed by audiological diagnostics
Exclusion criteria
* Children presenting with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections * Known speech-language developmental disorders * Cognitive disorders
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Correlation between SRTs obtained with the adapted MATCH and the PTA thresholds (500 Hz, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) | Through study completion, an average of 1 year. | The primary outcome measure is the correlation between Speech Recognition thresholds obtained with the adapted MATCH and the Pure Tone Audiometry thresholds (500 Hz, 1, 2, and 4 kHz). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients, ICC) | Through study completion, an average of 1 year. | Secondary outcome measures include test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients, ICC), to verify the reproducibility of the measurements. |
| Diagnostic performance | Through study completion, an average of 1 year. | ROC analysis will be used to establish optimal cut-off points for clinical decision-making and to quantify the diagnostic performance of the test. |
Countries
Hungary
Contacts
CONTACTGergely P. Vasvari, M.D.
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAnita Gaborjan, M.D., Ph.D.
Semmelweis University
Outcome results
None listed