GSI AudioStar Pro™ Clinical Audiometer
78
D-0100778 Rev C
Select the proper transducer and intensity levels for each channel.
Select the appropriate age from the Navigation Menu
Using the Word Nav and front panel navigation buttons or an external
mouse, select the first sentence.
Press the present bar or click the first sentence.
Score the four/three key words highlighted in each sentence by pressing
the
CORRECT or INCORRECT
button for each word repeated by the
patient.
NOTE:
Scoring preference options may be setup as defaults from the Config
App.
The
SNR
Loss score will appear in the SCORE/WORD window.
Select additional list pairs for testing if necessary
Interpreting test results for children should be done on a case-by-case
basis. For adults the table presented in the QuickSIN section that follows
can be used.
QuickSIN
The primary complaint of hearing-impaired persons is difficulty in background
noise. The measurement of SNR loss (signal-to-noise ratio loss) is important
because speech understanding in noise cannot be reliably predicted from the pure
tone audiogram (Killion & Niquette, 2000). For detailed information on the
QuickSIN, please see the QuickSIN manual.
QuickSIN Methodology
A list of six (6) sentences with five (5) key words per sentence is presented in
four-talker babble noise. The sentences are presented at pre-recorded signal-to-
noise ratios which decrease in 5 dB steps from 25 (very easy) to 0 (extremely
difficult). The SNR’s used are 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, and 0, encompassing normal to
severely impaired performance in noise.
Presentation Level
For pure-tone average (PTA) less than or equal to 45 dB HL, set the attenuators
in Channel 1 and Channel 2 to 70 dB HL. For PTA of 50 dB HL or greater, set
the attenuators to a level that is judged to be “loud, but okay.” The sound should
be perceived as loud, but not uncomfortably loud.
Test Instructions
“Imagine that you are at a party. There will be a woman talking and several
other talkers in the background. The woman’s voice is easy to hear at first,
because her voice is louder than the others. Repeat each sentence the woman
says. The background talkers will gradually become louder, making it difficult to
understand the woman’s voice, but please guess and repeat as much of each
sentence as possible.”
