Speech Reception Threshold (SRT):
* Measures the softest level at which a person can correctly repeat 50% of a list of words.
* It indicates the minimum intensity level required for a person to understand speech.
* Typically uses spondee words, which are two-syllable words with equal stress on each syllable (e.g., "baseball", "hotdog").
Speech Discrimination Score:
* Measures the ability to understand speech in the presence of background noise or other interfering sounds.
* Uses phonetically balanced (PB) word lists containing a variety of sounds.
* Scores are expressed as percentage of correctly identified words.
* Higher scores indicate better speech discrimination ability.
Together, SRT and Speech Discrimination Score provide a comprehensive evaluation of a person's ability to hear and understand speech.
Here's a breakdown of how they complement each other:
* SRT tells us how sensitive the individual is to the intensity of sound.
* Speech Discrimination Score tells us how well they can distinguish different sounds in the presence of noise.
These measures are crucial in diagnosing and managing hearing loss, especially in the presence of noise sensitivity or difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments.