Age standardization and time-of-day performance for the Oldenburg Sentence Test (OLSA): results from the population-based Gutenberg Health Study.

PURPOSE: The Oldenburg Sentence Test (OLSA) is a German matrix test designed to determine speech recognition thresholds (SRT). It is widely used for hearing-aids and cochlear implant fitting, but an age-adjusted standard is still lacking. In addition, knowing that the ability to concentrate is an important factor in OLSA performance, we hypothesized that OLSA performance would depend on the time of day it was administered. The aim of this study was to propose an age standardization for the OLSA and to determine its diurnal performance. METHODS: The Gutenberg Health Study is an ongoing population-based study and designed as a single-centre observational, prospective cohort study. Participants were interviewed about common otologic symptoms and tested with pure-tone audiometry and OLSA. Two groups-subjects with and without hearing loss-were established. The OLSA was performed in two runs. The SRT was evaluated for each participant. Results were characterized by age in 5-year cohorts, gender and speech recognition threshold (SRT). A time stamp with an hourly interval was also implemented. RESULTS: The mean OLSA SRT was - 6.9 ± 1.0 dB (group 1 male) and - 7.1 ± 0.8 dB (group 1 female) showing an inverse relationship with age in the whole cohort, whereas a linear increase was observed in those without hearing loss. OLSA-SRT values increased more in males than in females with increasing age. No statistical significance was found for the diurnal performance. CONCLUSIONS: A study with 2900 evaluable Oldenburg Sentence Tests is a novelty and representative for the population of Mainz and its surroundings. We postulate an age- and gender-standardized scale for the evaluation of the OLSA. In fact, with an intergroup standard deviation (of about 1.5 dB) compared to the age dependence of 0.7 dB/10 years, this age normalization should be considered as clinically relevant.

Vertigo and its burden of disease-Results from a population-based cohort study.

Objectives: Vertigo describes symptoms of abnormal movement of the environment or the patient's own body. As such, it affects patients' quality of life, prevents them from following their daily activities, and increases healthcare utilization. The Global Burden of Disease Project aims to quantify morbidity and mortality worldwide. In 2013, a separate disability weight for vertigo was introduced. The aim of this study is to estimate the symptom burden of disease caused by vertigo. Methods: This study analyzes data from the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS). The GHS is a population-based cohort study representative of the city of Mainz and its district. Participants were asked whether they suffered from vertigo and, if so, how bothered they felt by it, rating their distress on a six-level scale from 1 = little stressful to 6 = extremely stressful. Results: Eight thousand five hundred and nineteen participants could be included in the study. The overall prevalence of vertigo was 21.6% (95%-confidence interval [CI] [20.7%; 22.5%]). Vertigo prevalence peaked in the age group of 55-64 years. Vertigo annoyance averaged 2.42 (±1.28). When an annoyance of 3-6 was considered bothersome, the prevalence of bothersome vertigo was 8.1 % (95%-CI [7.5%; 8.7%]). Age-standardized to the European Standard Population 2013, vertigo caused a burden of 2102 years lived with disability per 100,000 population. Conclusion: In this study, it was found that one in five people suffer at least occasionally from vertigo. This result suggests a significant burden of disease. This burden is reported at the symptom level. Future studies are needed to attribute the burden to specific causes. Level of Evidence: 2.