Evaluation of Asymmetries in Speech-in Noise Abilities in Audiologic Screening for Vestibular Schwannoma.
Z Jason Qian, Yona Vaisbuch, Steven P Gianakas and 4 others
PMID 37707393WHAT IT FOUND
Speech-in-noise asymmetry between ears was a more accurate screen for vestibular schwannoma than word-recognition or pure-tone asymmetry, but the difference was small and MRI remains the gold standard.
Key findings
01Speech-in-noise asymmetry was more likely than word-recognition asymmetry to be present in patients with vestibular schwannoma.
02Among 73 patients with vestibular schwannoma, 12 had a significant between-ear word-recognition difference, while 43 had a significant between-ear speech-in-noise difference.
03The area under the curve was 0.703 for speech-in-noise asymmetry, 0.667 for word-recognition asymmetry, and 0.615 for pure-tone asymmetry, and the difference among measures approached significance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The data came from routine clinical audiologic records, and the authors note that some patients may not have completed QuickSIN because of time or other factors, which could bias the sample. Only patients who completed bilateral pure-tone audiometry, word-recognition, and QuickSIN were included. The control group included people with many different hearing conditions and may have included undiagnosed retrocochlear pathology. The authors state that the difference between speech-in-noise asymmetry and the other asymmetry measures remained small and may have been influenced by the large sample size. Word-recognition presentation levels can vary across clinics, and the authors note that such variation could influence word-recognition scores and the comparison of asymmetry measures.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat speech-in-noise asymmetry as a standalone diagnostic test for vestibular schwannoma. The study showed it was somewhat more accurate than word-recognition or pure-tone asymmetry in audiologic screening, but MRI remains the gold standard.