OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether age affects Flemish Digit Triplet Test (DTT) scores, as well as sensitivity and specificity of the test to detect high-frequency hearing impairment in middle age. DESIGN: DTT performance in broadband and low-pass filtered noise was assessed for 21 young and 61 middle-aged persons with normal-hearing sensitivity. Cutoff values based on their performance were used to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the DTT as a screening tool in 145 middle-aged persons, with varying audiometric profiles. RESULTS: DTT performance for normal-hearing persons depended on age in both noise conditions. For low-pass filtered noise, the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity also increased when age-adjusted cutoff values were applied for screening in middle age. CONCLUSIONS: The Flemish DTT with broadband noise had high sensitivity and specificity to detect high-frequency hearing impairment in middle age. Similar results were obtained for low-pass filtered noise when cutoff values for referral were age adjusted.
OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether age affects Flemish Digit Triplet Test (DTT) scores, as well as sensitivity and specificity of the test to detect high-frequency hearing impairment in middle age. DESIGN:DTT performance in broadband and low-pass filtered noise was assessed for 21 young and 61 middle-aged persons with normal-hearing sensitivity. Cutoff values based on their performance were used to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the DTT as a screening tool in 145 middle-aged persons, with varying audiometric profiles. RESULTS:DTT performance for normal-hearing persons depended on age in both noise conditions. For low-pass filtered noise, the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity also increased when age-adjusted cutoff values were applied for screening in middle age. CONCLUSIONS: The Flemish DTT with broadband noise had high sensitivity and specificity to detect high-frequency hearing impairment in middle age. Similar results were obtained for low-pass filtered noise when cutoff values for referral were age adjusted.
Authors: Karina C De Sousa; De Wet Swanepoel; David R Moore; Hermanus Carel Myburgh; Cas Smits Journal: Ear Hear Date: 2020 Mar/Apr Impact factor: 3.570
Authors: Sam Denys; Jan De Laat; Wouter Dreschler; Michael Hofmann; Astrid van Wieringen; Jan Wouters Journal: Trends Hear Date: 2019 Jan-Dec Impact factor: 3.293