The purpose of this study was to investigate how non-verbal visual reinforcement provided by the audiologist during speech testing influences performance in the elderly. Thirty-two volunteers with age-related hearing loss with or without dual sensory-impairment (DSI), were administered a speech audiometry test in which they repeated lists of ten disyllabic words in two different conditions, namely with and without visual reinforcement. In the conditions of "with visual reinforcement", the tester provided non-verbal cues to acknowledge the response of each participant. The "visual reinforcement" condition did not apparently provide any significant variation in the results. However, when we considered the group of patients without DSI, the non-verbal "visual reinforcement" resulted in better scores (p < 0.001). Non-verbal visual reinforcement may influence speech audiometry results in the elderly. During speech testing of elderly people with age-related hearing loss, audiologists should always remember to administer visual reinforcement to the patients in order to remove a possible confounding factor from audiological evaluation.

Non-verbal visual reinforcement affects speech audiometry in the elderly / F. Di Berardino, S. Forti, V. Mattei, D. Alpini, A. Cesarani. - In: EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGY. - ISSN 0937-4477. - 267:9(2010), pp. 1367-1370. [10.1007/s00405-010-1254-7]

Non-verbal visual reinforcement affects speech audiometry in the elderly

F. Di Berardino
Primo
;
A. Cesarani
Ultimo
2010

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how non-verbal visual reinforcement provided by the audiologist during speech testing influences performance in the elderly. Thirty-two volunteers with age-related hearing loss with or without dual sensory-impairment (DSI), were administered a speech audiometry test in which they repeated lists of ten disyllabic words in two different conditions, namely with and without visual reinforcement. In the conditions of "with visual reinforcement", the tester provided non-verbal cues to acknowledge the response of each participant. The "visual reinforcement" condition did not apparently provide any significant variation in the results. However, when we considered the group of patients without DSI, the non-verbal "visual reinforcement" resulted in better scores (p < 0.001). Non-verbal visual reinforcement may influence speech audiometry results in the elderly. During speech testing of elderly people with age-related hearing loss, audiologists should always remember to administer visual reinforcement to the patients in order to remove a possible confounding factor from audiological evaluation.
Age-related hearing loss ; Speech audiometry ; Visual impairment
Settore MED/32 - Audiologia
Settore MED/31 - Otorinolaringoiatria
2010
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/147823
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