The purpose of this study was to identify the main factors that differentiate listeners with clinically normal or “near-normal” hearing with regard to their speech-in-noise perception and to develop a regression model to predict speech-in-noise difficulties in this population.

We also aimed to assess the potential effectiveness of the formula produced by the regression model as a “diagnostic criterion” for clinical use.

Data from a large-scale behavioral study investigating the relationship between noise exposure and auditory processing in 122 adults (30 to 57 years) was re-examined.

For each participant, a composite speech-in-noise score (CSS) was calculated based on scores from three speech-in-noise measures, (a) the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale (average of speech items);  the Listening in Spatialized Noise Sentences test (high-cue condition); and  the National Acoustic Laboratories Dynamic Conversations Test.