Using the Digits-In-Noise Test to Estimate Age-Related Hearing Loss

Objective: Age-related hearing loss is common in the elderly population. Timely detection and targeted counseling can lead to adequate treatment with hearing aids. The Digits-In-Noise (DIN) test was developed as a relatively simple test to assess hearing acuity. It is a potentially powerful test for the screening of large populations, including the elderly. However, until to date, no sensitivity or specificity rates for detecting hearing loss were reported in a general elderly population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the DIN test to screen for mild and moderate hearing loss in the elderly. Design: Data of pure-tone audiometry and the DIN test were collected from 3327 adults ages above 50 (mean: 65), as part of the Rotterdam Study, a large population-based cohort study. Sensitivity and specificity of the DIN test for detecting hearing loss were calculated by comparing speech reception threshold (SRT) with pure-tone average threshold at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz (PTA0.5,1,2,4). Receiver operating characteristics were calculated for detecting >20 and >35 dB HL average hearing loss at the best ear. Results: Hearing loss varied greatly between subjects and, as expected, increased with age. High frequencies and men were more severely affected. A strong correlation (R = 0.80, p

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