Language-Independent Hearing Screening Based on Masked Recognition of Ecological Sounds.
Sam Denys, Jan De Laat, Wouter Dreschler and 3 others
PMID 32516059WHAT IT FOUND
The language-independent Sound Ear Check detects moderate hearing loss well (sensitivity and specificity ≈80%) but misses mild loss in adults (≈70%).
It is feasible in young children but requires training to prevent learning effects. The digit-based test remains more accurate for mild loss.
Key findings
01The Sound Ear Check showed sensitivity and specificity values of approximately 70% for detecting mild hearing loss in adults, compared to higher values for moderate loss.
02The Digit Triplet Test demonstrated significantly better diagnostic accuracy than the Sound Ear Check for detecting mild hearing loss.
03In children, the Sound Ear Check was feasible but 5 of 28 children performed unreliably, and a learning effect required a longer training phase to eliminate.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The SEC missed a significant proportion of mild hearing losses in adults, limiting its utility as a standalone screen for subtle deficits. Approximately 18% of children in the feasibility study (5 of 28) could not complete the test reliably, suggesting barriers related to attention or task complexity. The study did not validate the SEC in children with known hearing loss, so diagnostic accuracy in the pediatric population remains unknown. Cultural familiarity with the ecological sounds (e.g., baby, piano) may vary, potentially affecting recognition in different populations.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by non-U.S. government research funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the Sound Ear Check as a primary screen for mild hearing loss in adults, as it has lower sensitivity and specificity compared to the Digit Triplet Test. Additionally, do not administer the test to young children without the extended training phase, as learning effects will bias the results.