CAVRN: Speech in Noise as an Effective Outcome Measure

July 27, 2026

The Collaborative Auditory Vestibular Research Network (CAVRN) is a live, virtual course hosted and led by the Defense Health Agency’s Hearing Center of Excellence, featuring researchers from DHA and academia presenting their use of speech-in-noise testing to directly assess patients’ ability to function in challenging, real-world environments. Speech-in-noise tests can often reveal hearing limitations that are not captured by standard audiograms.

For more information about this activity, please contact Ms. Susanne Tait at [email protected].

Target Audience

This activity provides continuing education for audiologists, otolaryngologists, physician associates/physician assistants, and nurses in the Military Health System. A certificate of attendance is available for other attendees.

Learning Objectives

  1. Characterize the importance of speech as a critical audio signal in the military.
  2. Identify factors that impact Speech-in-Noise Performance.
  3. Describe possible differences between speech-in-noise tests and how their results may compare to each other and to subjective hearing complaint scores and audiometric thresholds.
  4. Identify performance distributions of auditory and cognitive assessments in service members.
  5. Describe the relationships between auditory and cognitive abilities.
  6. Describe the relationships between hearing aid benefit and auditory and cognitive abilities.
  7. Differentiate the perceptual and physiological deficits that persist in middle-aged adults despite a normal audiogram.
  8. Analyze how pupil-indexed listening effort and envelope following responses relate to speech-in-noise performance.
  9. Compare cross-species evidence implicating cochlear synaptopathy in age-related listening difficulties.
  10. List the two domains identified by the committee.
  11. Describe the objective and subjective measures selected by the committee to assess understanding of speech in complex listening situations.
  12. Describe the subjective measure selected by the committee to assess hearing-related psychosocial health.
  13. Compare and contrast reliability, minimal detectable difference, and minimal clinically important difference.

Resources

ASHA Course Type: 
Introductory
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 2.50 AAPA

    DHA J-7 CEPO has been authorized by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 2.50 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until Monday, August 10, 2026 - 11:59pm ET. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

  • 2.50 ACCME Non-Physician CME Credit

    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing education. ACCME Non-Physician CME Credit providers will be provided a certificate of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. ACCME Non-Physician CME Credit providers may receive a maximum of 2.50 hours for completing this activity.

  • 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

    DHA J-7 CEPO designated this Course for a maximum of 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 2.50 ANCC

    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Joint Accreditation/Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) to provide this Continuing Nursing Education Course for a maximum of 2.50 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 2.50 ASHA

    Course # is ABIT2606

    Introductory Level

    0.25 ASHA CEUs

    DHA J-7 CEPO is approved by the Continuing Education board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide continuing education activities in speech-language pathology, and audiology. ASHA CE Provider approval and use of the Brand Block does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products or clinical procedures.

  • 2.50 Attendance
  • 2.50 JA CEU (IACET)

    DHA J-7 CEPO is Jointly Accredited by the Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education and has been approved to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEUs are awarded for learning events that align with the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training. IACET is recognized internationally as a standards development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality continuing education and training. This learning event is eligible for 0.25 CEUs.

  • 2.50 IPCE

    In support of improving patient care, DHA J-7 CEPO is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 2.50 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

Course opens: 
07/20/2026
Course expires: 
08/10/2026
Event starts: 
07/27/2026 - 11:00am EDT
Event ends: 
07/27/2026 - 2:30pm EDT
Add to calendar: 

Douglas Brungart, DS, Ph.D. Presenter has no relevant financial or non-financial relationship(s) relating to the course content or with ineligible companies to disclose.

Alyssa Davidson, Ph.D., AuD, CCC-A. Presenter has no relevant financial or non-financial relationship(s) relating to the course content or with ineligible companies to disclose.

Tess K. Koerner, Ph.D., AuD. Presenter has no relevant financial or non-financial relationship(s) relating to the course content or with ineligible companies to disclose.

Aravindakshan Parthasarathy, M.Sc., Ph.D. Presenter has no relevant financial or non-financial relationship(s) relating to the course content or with ineligible companies to disclose.

Catherine V. Palmer, Ph.D. Presenter has no relevant financial or non-financial relationship(s) relating to the course content or with ineligible companies to disclose.

Disclosure: DHA J-7 staff, planners, authors, faculty, and content reviewers for this educational activity have no relevant financial or non-financial relationship(s) relating to the course content or with ineligible companies to disclose.

Portions of Dr. Alyssa Davidson’s presentation were developed with assistance from Gemini, 3.5 Flash on April 17, 2026, for generating photos related to the content. All AI-assisted outputs were reviewed and verified by presenter Dr. Alyssa Davidson for accuracy, balance, and independence prior to release. Prompts/outputs were stored outside the organization.

Available Credit

  • 2.50 AAPA

    DHA J-7 CEPO has been authorized by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 2.50 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until Monday, August 10, 2026 - 11:59pm ET. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

  • 2.50 ACCME Non-Physician CME Credit

    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing education. ACCME Non-Physician CME Credit providers will be provided a certificate of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. ACCME Non-Physician CME Credit providers may receive a maximum of 2.50 hours for completing this activity.

  • 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

    DHA J-7 CEPO designated this Course for a maximum of 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 2.50 ANCC

    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Joint Accreditation/Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) to provide this Continuing Nursing Education Course for a maximum of 2.50 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 2.50 ASHA

    Course # is ABIT2606

    Introductory Level

    0.25 ASHA CEUs

    DHA J-7 CEPO is approved by the Continuing Education board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide continuing education activities in speech-language pathology, and audiology. ASHA CE Provider approval and use of the Brand Block does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products or clinical procedures.

  • 2.50 Attendance
  • 2.50 JA CEU (IACET)

    DHA J-7 CEPO is Jointly Accredited by the Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education and has been approved to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs). CEUs are awarded for learning events that align with the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training. IACET is recognized internationally as a standards development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality continuing education and training. This learning event is eligible for 0.25 CEUs.

  • 2.50 IPCE

    In support of improving patient care, DHA J-7 CEPO is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 2.50 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

Please login or create an account to take this course.

Requirements:  CE/CME certificates are awarded to MHS participants who fully complete the activity, successfully submit the evaluation survey, and pass the posttest with a minimum score of 80% unless noted otherwise. The deadline to claim credit is Aug 10, 2026.

Access Code/Accommodations: Some activities require an access code to register or claim CE/CME credit. For inquiries regarding the access code or accommodations, please email Ms. Susanne Tait at [email protected]. 

For technical support, email [email protected].

Required Hardware/software