title: [The Mini-Audio-Test (MAT). Screening inventory for hearing loss starting at the age of 50].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Progredient hearing loss is a common symptom, which is hard to detect early. This study presents an assessment to face this problem.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,159 subjects between the age of 50 and 75 have been investigated by a 12 question profile about their hearing in different situations. The answers have been rated by weighted points and compared with the pure-tone audiogram of the subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  6 of the 12 questions were suitable to detect a hearing loss of 25 dB in one of the 4 frequencies 0,5-1-2-4 kHz. For subjects under age of 60 a cutoff value of 3, for subjects aged 60 years or older a cutoff value of 2 points could be set for the 6 questions including "Mini-Audio-Test" (MAT).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The "Mini-Audio-Test" is able to detect a hearing loss of 25 dB at least in one of the 4 frequencies by a sensitivity of 78%, 95% confidence interval (71,8%, 83,2%), for the younger group of subjects and by 69%, 95% confidence interval (66,0%, 72,6%), for the older one. Subjects with a pathological score should be examined by an ENT-physician.
authors.affiliation: Wissenschaftliches Institut für angewandte HNO-Heilkunde (WIAHNO), Deutscher Berufsverband der HNO-Ärzte e. V., Bad Bramstedt.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Löhler
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schlattmann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires