Abstract

ZABONI, Zuleica Costa  and  IORIO, Maria Cecília Martinelli. Speech recognition in the maximum comfort level in adults with sensorineural hearing loss. Rev. soc. bras. fonoaudiol. [online]. 2009, vol.14, n.4, pp. 491-497. ISSN 1982-0232.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-80342009000400011.

PURPOSE: To obtain the Percentage Index of Speech Recognition (PISR) at maximum comfortable level (MCL) in adults with mild to moderately severe (up to 60 dB) sensorineural hearing loss. METHODS: The subjects evaluated were grouped according to the degree of hearing loss (Groups I, II and III). The groups were further divided into subgroups (IA,IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB) as it follows. In the subgroup A of each group, the PISR was determined at 40 dB SL, beginning with the right ear. The patient was then requested to inform how comfortable the sound was at this level of stimuli presentation, according to a scale with four possibilities: low, comfortable, high and excessively high. After that, the maximum comfortable level (MCL) was obtained, and the PISR was carried out using that intensity level. In the subgroup B of each group, the same procedure was carried out, only reversely, performing initially the PISR at MCL, and then at 40 dB SL. In this subgroup the test began with the left ear. RESULTS: After evaluating the subjects of the three groups, the mean MCL was calculated. It varied from 25 to 32.95 dB SL. The subjects had better results in the PISR when stimuli were presented at MCL. CONCLUSION: PISR evaluation at MCL, for individuals with mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss, provides better Speech Recognition results.

Keywords : Hearing loss; sensorineural; Auditory threshold; Audiometry, speech; Speech perception.