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Updated: May 26, 2026
07:52
An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
Published on: March 13, 2026
Informational masking and spatial hearing in listeners with and without unilateral hearing loss
Ann M Rothpletz1, Frederic L Wightman, Doris J Kistler
1University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. ann.rothpletz@louisville.edu
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|January 5, 2012
Summary
Individuals with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) struggle with selective listening in noisy environments, unlike normal-hearing listeners. This difficulty is not linked to their sound localization skills.
Area of Science:
- Auditory perception research
- Speech processing in hearing impairment
Background:
- Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) presents unique challenges for auditory processing.
- Understanding selective listening and spatial release from masking is crucial for individuals with UHL.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate selective listening for speech in individuals with and without UHL.
- To investigate the relationship between spatial release from informational masking and sound localization ability in UHL.
Main Methods:
- Twelve adults with UHL and 12 normal-hearing controls participated.
- Monaural and binaural speech tasks assessed informational masking.
- A horizontal sound localization task was also performed.
Main Results:
- Participants with UHL showed comparable monaural performance to controls.
- UHL participants did not exhibit spatial release from masking; performance was explained by head shadow effects.
- Localization ability in UHL participants was highly variable.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with UHL are disadvantaged in environments where spatial separation aids normal-hearing listeners.
- This selective listening deficit in UHL is not correlated with localization ability.
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