MISHA-Random Adaptive Marathi Sentence Identification in Noise

MISHA-Random Adaptive Marathi Sentence Identification in Noise (M-RAMSIN) test is another esteemed project of MISHA (Indian Speech and Hearing Association, Maharashtra Branch) in the field of Audiology. The test is developed by Vanaja, Nandurkar, Valame, Bantwal and Khan (2023). It assesses speech perception in quiet and speech perception in noise.  Speech perception in noise can be assessed at fixed signal-to-noise ratios or SNR50 can be obtained using adaptive method.

How the test will be useful to audiologists:

In adult hearing aid fitting and dispensing, speech-in-noise testing is a mandatory requirement for subjective verification and validation of the fitting. However, it is not a routine practice in many clinics even today. One of the commonly cited reasons for this is the unavailability of standardized recorded test for the same in regional languages. M-RAMSIN tries to fill in this lacuna for the language widely used in Maharashtra, Marathi.

Although the test was developed as a tool for validation of hearing aid fitting in adults, it also has implications for use as a diagnostic tool in the assessment /identification of individuals with retro-cochlear pathologies (RCP) such as ANSD, Vestibular schwannoma, Neurovascular conflict etc. and in the assessment for auditory processing disorders (APD).

Advantages:

The test has the following advantages:

  • It is easy to administer and is automatically scored.
  • It doesn’t require additional sophisticated instrument. Any calibrated audiometer with an external input can be connected to a laptop (in which the test is downloaded) with the help of an auxiliary cable. Then the input calibration is done and the test can be run.
  • It is a time-efficient test as the adaptive SNR-50 takes not more than 5 to 8 minutes per ear.

This test can find a place in busy clinical practice not only in academic institutions and hospital set-ups but also in private clinics across the state. This will be a big step forward in good clinical practice for hearing aid fitting in adults as the Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice document prepared by MISHA and endorsed by ISHA recommends that speech-in-noise testing must be an integral part of the hearing aid fitting process.

How to procure the test:

The test is available free of cost. To procure the test please write to:

misha.communication2013@gmail.com

Kindly note that MISHA holds the copyright of M-RAMSIN.

Whom to contact regarding queries related to use of M-RAMSIN:

Anyone who requires help in administering the test may contact any of the investigators for help. Their contact details are as follows: