New Technique for Audiometry in Real Environments Simulation (NT-ARES)

Background: Conventional audiometric tests don’t reflect accurate information about the hearing in real and complex acoustic environments. Additionally don`t allow to extract information or to optimize the potential benefits provided by the new hearing aids in these situations.

Objective: The aim of this study is to validate NT-ARES, a new booth for hearing analysis simulating listening conditions of real life.

Methods: It has been designed and performed a new booth with an audiological software using auditory-visual scenarios where the sounds sources are eight speakers in 360º around the subject and while the patient’s audition is being studied 3D images alluding to what hears are shown to give a sense of realism. First step for a prospective validation study was carried out with 45 normal hearing patients (17 [38%] males and 28 [62%] females; mean age was 34.6 [SD: 10.7-] years). Audiological studies: Tonal and vocal audiometry (with and without noise) and uncomfortable auditory threshold were done in the Conventional booth and in NT-ARES. Statistical analysis was performed to study concordance between both exploration conditions.

Results: Statistical significance concordance (p>0.05 for the differences) was found between Conventional booth and NT-ARES results in Tonal and Vocal audiometry.

Conclusion: NT-ARES represents a complement to the conventional audiometric tests and it might complete audiological diagnostic. NT-ARES constitutes a methodology that can be applied to optimize the calibration of hearing aids and auditory implantable devices.