Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
Ear Hear. 2024;45(3):572-582. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001447. Epub 2023 Nov 22.
The study aimed to develop and validate the Mandarin digit-in-noise (DIN) test using four digit (i.e., two-, three-, four-, and five-digit) sequences. Test-retest reliability and criterion validity were evaluated. How the number of digits affected the results was examined. The research might lead to more informed choice of DIN tests for populations with specific cognitive needs such as memory impairment.
The International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology guideline for developing the DIN was adapted to create test materials. The test-retest reliability and psychometric function of each digit sequence were determined among young normal-hearing adults. The criterion validity of each digit sequence was determined by comparing the measured performance of older adult hearing aid users with that obtained from two other well-established sentence-in-noise tests: the Mandarin hearing-in-noise test and the Mandarin Chinese matrix test. The relation between the speech reception thresholds (SRTs) of each digit sequence of the DIN test and working memory capacity measured using the digit span test and the reading span test were explored among older adult hearing aid users. Together, the study sample consisted of 54 young normal-hearing adults and 56 older adult hearing aid users.
The slopes associated with the two-, three-, four-, and five-digit DIN test were 16.58, 18.79, 20.42, and 21.09 %/dB, respectively, and the mean SRTs were -11.11, -10.99, -10.56, and -10.02 dB SNR, respectively. Test-retest SRTs did not differ by more than 0.74 dB across all digit sequences, suggesting good test-retest reliability. Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients between SRTs obtained using the DIN across the four digit (i.e., two-, three-, four-, and five-digit) sequences and the two sentence-in-noise tests were uniformly high ( rs = 0.9) across all participants, when data from all participants were considered. Results from the digit span test and reading span test correlated significantly with the results of the five-digit sequences ( rs = -0.37 and -0.42, respectively) but not with the results of the two-, three-, and four-digit sequences among older hearing aid users.
While the three-digit sequence was found to be appropriate for clinical use for assessment of auditory perception, the two-digit sequence could be used for hearing screening. The five-digit sequence could be difficult for older hearing aid users, and with its SRT related to working memory capacity, its use in the evaluation of speech perception should be investigated further. The Mandarin DIN test was found to be reliable, and the findings are in line with SRTs obtained using standardized sentence tests, suggesting good criterion validity.
本研究旨在开发和验证使用四位数字（即二、三、四、五位数）序列的普通话数字-噪声测试（DIN）。评估测试的重测信度和效标效度。检验了数字数量对结果的影响。这项研究可能会导致为具有特定认知需求（如记忆障碍）的人群选择更明智的 DIN 测试。
改编了国际康复听力学学院制定 DIN 的指南，以创建测试材料。在年轻的正常听力成年人中确定了每个数字序列的重测信度和心理测量功能。通过将老年助听器使用者的测量表现与其他两个成熟的噪声中言语测试（普通话听力测试和普通话矩阵测试）的结果进行比较，确定了每个数字序列的效标效度。探索了 DIN 测试的每个数字序列的言语接受阈值（SRT）与使用数字跨度测试和阅读跨度测试测量的工作记忆能力之间的关系。共有 54 名年轻的正常听力成年人和 56 名老年助听器使用者参与了这项研究。
二、三、四、五位数 DIN 测试的斜率分别为 16.58%、18.79%、20.42%和 21.09%/dB，平均 SRT 分别为-11.11dB、-10.99dB、-10.56dB 和-10.02dB SNR。所有数字序列的重测 SRT 差异不超过 0.74dB，表明重测信度良好。当考虑所有参与者的数据时，使用四个数字（即二、三、四、五位数）序列的 DIN 获得的 SRT 之间的 Spearman 等级相关系数在所有参与者中均为高（rs=0.9）与两个句子测试。来自数字跨度测试和阅读跨度测试的数据与五位数序列的结果显著相关（rs=-0.37 和-0.42），但与老年助听器使用者的二、三、四位数序列的结果无关。
虽然发现三数字序列适用于临床听觉感知评估，但二数字序列可用于听力筛查。五位数序列可能对老年助听器使用者来说有难度，并且与工作记忆能力相关的 SRT，其在言语感知评估中的应用需要进一步研究。普通话 DIN 测试被发现具有可靠性，并且结果与使用标准化句子测试获得的 SRT 一致，表明具有良好的效标效度。
