Validation of two efficient and robust smartphone-based threshold (GRaBr) and loudness (rACALOS) measures in typical home settings

Abstract

Reliable hearing assessment at home can improve accessibility and reduce dependence on in-clinic testing. To be viable, home-based procedures must provide accurate results within short measurement times and remain robust to factors such as ambient noise and variable user attention. This study validated two such procedures—a Graded Response Bracketing method for pure-tone threshold estimation and a reinforced adaptive categorical loudness scaling method for loudness-growth assessment—using remote, smartphone-based testing. Fifteen young adults with normal hearing completed the tasks at home and in the laboratory. Ambient noise levels in home environments were also recorded. Test–retest reliability was assessed by repeating the home measurements on a separate occasion.

Remote measurements closely matched laboratory results, with mean differences below 1 dB for threshold estimation and below 5 dB for loudness scaling. Test–retest differences obtained at home were small, remaining below 2 dB for threshold estimation and below 1 dB for loudness scaling. These findings demonstrate that smartphone-based pure-tone audiometry and loudness-scaling assessments can achieve high accuracy, efficiency, and reliability when using these procedures, provided that basic acoustic-hygiene conditions (e.g., sufficiently low ambient noise) are maintained.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Chen Xu: orcid.org/0000-0003-3233-3179

Catalogue record

Export record

Altmetrics