Mario Cebulla1, Ekkehard Stürzebecher. 1. * Comprehensive Hearing Center (CHC), Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A common testing approach for automated ABR detection is to use a sequential test strategy. Repeated testing increases the error probability for a falsely detected response (Type I error rate). To compensate for this effect, the statistically critical test value must be increased with each test step. The aim of the study was to improve response detection by a reduction of the number of test steps using a progressively increasing test step of iteration, defined here as step width. DESIGN: A progressively increasing test step width was tested with and without the table-related testing (adjusting the critical test value to each test step) proposed by Stürzebecher & Cebulla (2013) . For this study the same data pool was used. STUDY SAMPLE: The investigation was performed on raw EEG data collected during routine clinical measurement of frequency-specific ASSR for hearing threshold assessment. RESULTS: The reduction of the test step number combined with a progressive test step width led to a significantly improved response detection. In combination with table-related testing a slight but not significant improvement compared to table-related testing alone was revealed. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed test strategy can improve the performance of objective hearing threshold assessment and of newborn hearing screening.
OBJECTIVE: A common testing approach for automated ABR detection is to use a sequential test strategy. Repeated testing increases the error probability for a falsely detected response (Type I error rate). To compensate for this effect, the statistically critical test value must be increased with each test step. The aim of the study was to improve response detection by a reduction of the number of test steps using a progressively increasing test step of iteration, defined here as step width. DESIGN: A progressively increasing test step width was tested with and without the table-related testing (adjusting the critical test value to each test step) proposed by Stürzebecher & Cebulla (2013) . For this study the same data pool was used. STUDY SAMPLE: The investigation was performed on raw EEG data collected during routine clinical measurement of frequency-specific ASSR for hearing threshold assessment. RESULTS: The reduction of the test step number combined with a progressive test step width led to a significantly improved response detection. In combination with table-related testing a slight but not significant improvement compared to table-related testing alone was revealed. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed test strategy can improve the performance of objective hearing threshold assessment and of newborn hearing screening.