The validation of the adaptive auditory speech test in Maltese older adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to validate the Adaptive Auditory Speech Test (AAST) in Maltese older adults aged 60 to 70 years. Participants’ hearing thresholds are screened using automated pure-tone audiometry (PTA). This is done in order to establish two groups; the typical hearing group and the group of individuals with identified hearing impairment (clinical group). The Maltese version of the AAST is utilized to establish the Speech Recognition Thresholds (SRTs) of 100 adults in 2 settings; Quiet and Noise. The aims are to establish the trends of typical-hearing Maltese older adults in these 2 settings. PTA findings show that the clinical group have a higher mean PTA score compared to the typical hearing group. Participants who report a history of ear infection or ear-related conditions, and difficulty understanding people speaking in noisy environments are also found to have a higher mean PTA score. The clinical group is also found to have higher average scores in both Quiet and Noisy settings in the AAST. The mean SRT values in Quiet and Noise of the 18-30-year-olds in Miggiani’s study (2021), are compared to the 60-70-year-olds in this study. An age-dependent threshold, with a substantial increase in SRTs as age increases is confirmed. This is noticeable across the 2 test settings. An age-dependent threshold difference of about 14dB in Quiet and 7dB in Noise can be observed. A high correlation between PTA and AAST is also observed thereby confirming concurrent validity. The AAST is also found to have high test-retest reliability.