Development of a speech-in-noise test in european portuguese based on QuickSIN: a pilot study

Serrano, Margarida; Simões, Jéssica; Vicente, Joana; Ferreira, Maria; Murta, Ana; Ferrão, João Tiago

Publication

Development of a speech-in-noise test in european portuguese based on QuickSIN: a pilot study

2025-11-26Text

datacite.subject.fos	Ciências Médicas
datacite.subject.sdg	03:Saúde de Qualidade
dc.contributor.author	Serrano, Margarida
dc.contributor.author	Simões, Jéssica
dc.contributor.author	Vicente, Joana
dc.contributor.author	Ferreira, Maria
dc.contributor.author	Murta, Ana
dc.contributor.author	Ferrão, João Tiago
dc.date.accessioned	2025-11-27T12:33:12Z
dc.date.available	2025-11-27T12:33:12Z
dc.date.issued	2025-11-26
dc.description.abstract	Background and Objectives: Speech-in-noise testing is essential for evaluating functional hearing abilities in clinical practice. Although the Quick Speech-in-Noise test (QuickSIN) is widely used, no equivalent tool existed for European Portuguese. This study aimed to develop a Speech-in-Noise Test for European Portuguese (SiN-EP), linguistically adapted and calibrated for native speakers, to support clinical assessment of speech perception in realistic listening environments. Materials and Methods: The SiN-EP was developed through a multi-stage process. Sentences were drafted to reflect natural speech patterns and reviewed by native speakers for clarity and grammatical accuracy. Selected sentences were recorded by a female native speaker in a controlled acoustic environment and mixed with multi-talker babble at signal-to-noise ratios (SNR (dB)) from 25 to 0 SNR (dB). A pre-test in a free-field setting at 65 dB SPL was conducted with fifteen normal-hearing young adults. Participants repeated each sentence, and their responses were analyzed to refine list composition, adjust difficulty, and ensure phonetic balance. Results: Intelligibility decreased systematically as SNR (dB) worsened, with ceiling effects at 25 and 20 SNR (dB). At 5 SNR (dB), high variability was observed, with set 5 showing disproportionate difficulty and set 14 containing an incomplete sentence; both were removed. At 0 SNR (dB), all sets demonstrated expected low intelligibility. The final test comprises thirteen lists of six sentences, each maintaining stable intelligibility, phonetic representativeness, and consistent difficulty across SNRs (dB). Conclusions: The SiN-EP provides a linguistically appropriate, phonetically balanced, and SNR (dB) calibrated instrument for assessing speech-in-noise perception in European Portuguese. The refinement process improved reliability and list equivalence, supporting the test’s clinical and research applicability. The SiN-EP fills a critical gap in assessing speech-in-noise perception in European Portuguese speakers, providing a reliable tool for both clinical and research applications.	por
dc.identifier.citation	Serrano, M.; Simões, J.; Vicente, J.; Ferreira, M.; Murta, A.; Ferrão, J.T. Development of a Speech-in-Noise Test in European Portuguese Based on QuickSIN: A Pilot Study. J. Otorhinolaryngol. Hear. Balance Med. 2025, 6, 22. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ohbm6020022
dc.identifier.doi	10.3390/ohbm6020022
dc.identifier.eissn	2504-463X
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/60068
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.peerreviewed	yes
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.hasversion	https://doi.org/10.3390/ohbm6020022
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
dc.subject	signal-to-noise ratio
dc.subject	hearing difficulties
dc.subject	auditory processing
dc.subject	speech perception
dc.subject	Portuguese
dc.title	Development of a speech-in-noise test in european portuguese based on QuickSIN: a pilot study	por
dc.type	text
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.citation.endPage	10
oaire.citation.issue	2
oaire.citation.startPage	1
oaire.citation.title	Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing and Balance Medicine
oaire.citation.volume	6
oaire.version	http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85