Objective : Examine the contribution of speech tests when measuring the benefits of a speech listening training program in noise.

Methods : Children with auditory processing disorders and adults reporting speech listening difficulties in noise were trained to listen to speech stimuli presented in a noisy background during two 30-minute sesssions per week, for nine to thirteen weeks. Pre and post-training measures were done, in part, with speech tests in noise: the French adaptation of the Hearing In Noise Test (Vaillancourt et al., 2008), the Sentence in noise test (Test de phrases dans le bruit – TPB – Lagacé et al., 2010) or the Word in noise test (Test de mots dans le bruit – TMB – Lagacé, 2010).

Results/Conclusion : Results suggest (1) greater tolerance to noise when listening to speech  stimuli in noise across the training sessions and (2) that speech tests could be sensitive to changes following the training program in some, but not all individuals who participated into the program.

Références

Lagacé, J. (2010). Développement du test de mots dans le bruit: mesure de l'équivalence des listes et données préliminaires sur l'effet d'âge. Canadian Acoustics, 38, 19-30.

Lagacé, J., Jutras, B., Giguère, C., & Gagné, J.-P. (2010). Development of the Test de Phrases dans le Bruit (TPB) Élaboration du Test de phrases dans le bruit (TPB). Revue canadienne d’orthophonie et d’audiologie, 34, 261-270.

Vaillancourt, V., Laroche, C., Giguère, C. & Soli S.D. (2008). Establishement of age-specific normative data for the canadian French version of the hearing in noise test for children. Ear & Hearing, 29, 453-466.