Suter A H
J Acoust Soc Am. 1985 Sep;78(3):887-900. doi: 10.1121/1.392919.
The study was designed to test the validity of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology's (AAOO) 26-dB average hearing threshold level at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz as a predictor of hearing handicap. To investigate this criterion the performance of a normal-hearing group was compared with that of two groups, categorized according to the AAOO [Trans. Am. Acad. Ophthal. Otolaryng. 63, 236-238 (1959)] guidelines as having no handicap. The latter groups, however, had significant hearing losses in the frequencies above 2000 Hz. Mean hearing threshold levels for 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz were 54 dB for group II and 63 dB for group III. Two kinds of speech stimuli were presented at an A-weighted sound level of 60 dB in quiet and in three different levels of noise. The resulting speech recognition scores were significantly lower for the hearing-impaired groups than for the normal-hearing group on both kinds of speech materials and in all three noise conditions. Mean scores for group III were significantly lower than those of the normal-hearing group, even in the quiet condition. Speech recognition scores showed significantly better correlation with hearing levels for frequency combinations including frequencies above 2000 Hz than for the 500-, 1000-, and 2000-Hz combination. On the basis of these results the author recommends that the 26-dB fence should be somewhat lower, and that frequencies above 2000 Hz should be included in any scheme for evaluating hearing handicap.
该研究旨在测试美国眼耳鼻喉科协会（AAOO）提出的500、1000和2000赫兹平均听力阈值水平26分贝作为听力障碍预测指标的有效性。为了研究这一标准，将听力正常组的表现与另外两组进行了比较，这两组是根据AAOO[《美国眼耳鼻喉科协会汇刊》63, 236 - 238(1959)]指南被归类为无听力障碍的。然而，后两组在2000赫兹以上频率存在明显听力损失。第二组在3000、4000和6000赫兹的平均听力阈值水平为54分贝，第三组为63分贝。在安静环境以及三种不同噪声水平下，以A加权声级60分贝呈现两种语音刺激。在两种语音材料以及所有三种噪声条件下，听力受损组的语音识别得分均显著低于听力正常组。即使在安静环境中，第三组的平均得分也显著低于听力正常组。与包括2000赫兹以上频率的频率组合相比，语音识别得分与500、1000和2000赫兹组合的听力水平之间的相关性显著更好。基于这些结果，作者建议26分贝的界限应稍低一些，并且在任何评估听力障碍的方案中都应纳入2000赫兹以上的频率。
