{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Masked speech recognition by 6-13-year-olds with early-childhood otitis media: effects of acoustic condition and otologic history.
{Author}: Koiek S;Brandt C;Möller S;Dillon H;Neher T;
{Journal}: Int J Audiol
{Volume}: 0
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 May 20
{Factor}: 2.437
{DOI}: 10.1080/14992027.2024.2348506
{Abstract}: UNASSIGNED: To investigate speech recognition in school-age children with early-childhood otitis media (OM) in conditions with noise or speech maskers with or without interaural differences. To also investigate the effects of three otologic history factors.
UNASSIGNED: Using headphone presentation, speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) were measured with simple sentences. As maskers, stationary speech-shaped noise (SSN) or two-talker running speech (TTS) were used. The stimuli were presented in a monaural and binaural condition (SSN) or a co-located and spatially separated condition (TTS). Based on the available medical records, overall OM duration, OM onset age, and time since the last OM episode were estimated.
UNASSIGNED: 6-13-year-olds with a history of recurrent OM (N = 42) or without any ear diseases (N = 20) with normal tympanograms and audiograms at the time of testing.
UNASSIGNED: Mixed-model regression analyses that controlled for age showed poorer SRTs for the OM group (Δ-value = 0.84 dB, p = 0.009). These appeared driven by the spatially separated, binaural, and monaural conditions. The OM group showed large inter-individual differences, which were unrelated to the otologic history factors.
UNASSIGNED: Early-childhood OM can affect speech recognition in different acoustic conditions. The effects of the otologic history warrant further investigation.