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Updated: May 15, 2026
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Sound Source Localization Testing in Single-sided Deafness Following Bone Conduction Intervention
Published on: December 20, 2024
Sound localization in unilateral deafness with the Baha or TransEar device
Robert A Battista1, Krystine Mullins, R Mark Wiet
1The Ear Institute of Chicago, Hinsdale IL 60521, USA. r-battista2@northwestern.edu
JAMA Otolaryngology-- Head & Neck Surgery
|January 19, 2013
Summary
Bone-anchored hearing devices, including the Baha BP100 and TransEar, did not significantly improve sound localization for patients with unilateral hearing loss. Performance remained close to chance, indicating limited benefit for these devices in this specific auditory function.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Unilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss presents significant challenges in sound localization.
- Bone-conduction hearing devices offer a potential solution for auditory rehabilitation in such cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare the sound localization capabilities of patients with unilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss using two different bone-conduction hearing devices: the Baha BP100 and the TransEar 380-HF.
- To assess the impact of these devices on both accuracy and laterality of sound localization.
Main Methods:
- A nonrandomized, prospective study was conducted with 20 patients (10 per device) having unilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss and normal contralateral hearing.
- Sound localization was tested using recorded sounds (barking dog, police siren) presented from seven speakers, with and without the hearing devices.
- Localization accuracy and laterality judgment were measured in randomized trials.
Main Results:
- The mean accuracy for speaker localization with the Baha BP100 and TransEar devices was 24% and 26%, respectively, which was only slightly better than chance.
- Mean laterality judgment accuracy was 59% for the BP100 and 69% for the TransEar, also showing limited improvement.
- No statistically significant difference in sound localization performance was found between the two device groups.
Conclusions:
- Neither the Baha BP100 nor the TransEar 380-HF bone-conduction hearing device demonstrated a significant improvement in sound localization accuracy or laterality judgment for patients with unilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss.
- The findings suggest that these devices, in their current form, offer minimal benefit for enhancing spatial hearing in this patient population.
