Sentence identification in noise and hearing-handicap questionnaires.

We compared the results of two hearing-handicap questionnaires (the Social Hearing-Handicap Index and the Hearing Measurement Scale) and the scores on three sentence-in-noise tests (CID sentences in continuous noise, BKB sentences in continuous noise and BKB sentences in noise modulated by the speech). Thirty subjects were tested, 6 with normal hearing, 11 with a mixed hearing loss, and 13 with a sensorineural hearing loss. Significant correlations were found among the sentence identification scores and the questionnaires, particularly those questions that dealt with the understanding of speech. Both the questionnaires and the sentence-identification scores were also highly correlated to pure-tone sensitivity.