Matrix sentence test

Performing a matrix sentence testMost people first realize they have a hearing loss when they encounter problems with communication in noisy environments. Hearing professionals perform audiological tests measuring the speech intelligibility in noise in order to obtain a realistic measure for this kind of hearing disability.

The sentences of matrix tests all are composed with the same structure (e.g. in English: “Name verb numeral adjective object” like “Hannah wins twelve red tins”). Test lists with 20 or 30 items are generated from several such sentences, the words are taken in a seemingly random fashion from an inventory of 50 words (10 words per category).

Sample sentences:

  •   Peter hat drei schwere Dosen. (Oldenburg Sentence Test, available)
  •   Thomas wants nine cheap beds. (British Matrix Test, in preparation)
  •   Svante tog tolv hela dukar. (Hagerman Test, available)
  •   Adam robi sześć tanich koszy. (Polish Matrix Test, available)
  •   Пётр ищет двести старых улиц. (Russian Matrix Test, available)
  •   José pinta doce juegos viejos. (Spanish Matrix Test, available)
  •   Agnès dessine trois rubans rouges. (French Matrix Test, in preparation)
  •   Willem koopt drie zware messen. (Dutch Matrix Test, in preparation)
  •   Seyhan iki beyaz sepet satmış. (Turkish Matrix Test, in preparation)
  •   Rachel prefers seven old rings. (US Matrix Test, in preparation)

Advantages:

  • Identification of speech recognition threshold in noise and in quiet.
  • Suitable also for profoundly hearing impaired people and cochlear implant users.
  • Possibility of unlimited repetitions of measurements.
  • Special speech simulating noise for best accuracy.
  • No memorizing of test material possible.
  • Adaptive level adjustment.

Compared to everyday sentences tests, training is mandatory to accustom the subjects to the speech material (there is usually a rapid increase in performance during the first two test lists).

The assessment of speech recognition is a standard test, which means that it is recommended to be executed for every patient.

 

The sentences of the matrix test (also named OlSa-test) in four languages are found here .

 

Information about the software version of the test.

Literature:
Hagerman B (1982) Sentences for testing speech intelligibility in noise. Scand Audiol 11:79-87
Wagener K, Brand T, Kollmeier B (1999) Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Satztests für die deutsche Sprache I: Design des Oldenburger Satztests (Development and evaluation of a German sentence test part I: Design of the Oldenburg sentence test). Z. Audiol. 38, 4-15
Wagener K, Brand T, Kollmeier B (1999) Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Satztests für die deutsche Sprache II: Optimierung des Oldenburger Satztests (Development and evaluation of a German sentence test part II: Optimization of the Oldenburg sentence test). Z. Audiol. 38, 44-56
Wagener K, Brand T, Kollmeier B (1999) Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Satztests für die deutsche Sprache III: Evaluation des Oldenburger Satztests (Development and evaluation of a German sentence test part III: Evaluation of the Oldenburg sentence test). Z. Audiol. 38, 86-95
Ozimek E, Warzybok A, Kutzner D (2010) Polish sentence matrix test for speech intelligibility measurement in noise, Int. J. Audiol. 49:444-454

Partner institutions:

HörTech gGmbH, Oldenburg   Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, Southampton
 Karolinska Institutet Stockholm Karolinska Institutet Stockholm  Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan
  Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam   Academic Medical Center Amsterdam
  Catholic University Leuven   Ankara University
   EU project HurDig    

 

Further test procedures in the Auditory Profile.