title: Acceptable noise level: repeatability with Danish and non-semantic speech materials for adults with normal hearing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The acceptable noise level (ANL) is used to quantify the amount of background noise that subjects can accept while listening to speech, and is suggested for prediction of individual hearing-aid use. The aim of this study was to assess the repeatability of the ANL measured in normal-hearing subjects using running Danish and non-semantic speech materials as stimuli and modulated speech-spectrum and multi-talker babble noises as competing stimuli.
  
  
  METHODS
  ANL was measured in both ears at two test sessions separated by a period ranging from 12 to 77 days. At each session the measurements at the first and the second ear were separated in time by 15-30 minutes. Bland-Altman plots and calculation of the coefficient of repeatability (CR) were used to estimate the repeatability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty nine normal-hearing subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ANL CR was 6.0-8.9 dB for repeated tests separated by about 15-30 minutes and 7.2-10.2 dB for repeated tests separated by 12 days or more.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ANL test has poor repeatability when assessed with Danish and non-semantic speech materials on normal-hearing subjects. The same CR among hearing-impaired subjects would imply too poor repeatability to predict individual patterns of future hearing-aid use.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. steen.olsen@rh.regionh.dk
authors.forename: Steen Østergaard
authors.initials: SØ
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Lars Holme
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lantz
authors.forename: K Jonas
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Brännström
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001302:Audiometry, Speech / Q000379:methods*; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception; D055815:Young Adult