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Auditory localization by subjects with unilateral tinnitus.
Petteri Hyvärinen1, Catarina Mendonça2, Olli Santala2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Biomedicum Helsinki 1, P.O. Box 220, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|June 3, 2016
Summary
Tinnitus may impact sound localization, particularly in the vertical plane. However, research suggests hearing loss is the primary cause, not tinnitus itself.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
Background:
- Tinnitus is linked to altered neural activity, but its effect on sound localization is unclear.
- Understanding tinnitus's impact on spatial hearing is crucial for managing auditory dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how tinnitus affects auditory localization in horizontal and vertical planes.
- To differentiate the effects of tinnitus from those of associated hearing loss on localization ability.
Main Methods:
- Compared individuals with unilateral tinnitus, hearing loss, and normal hearing on sound localization tasks.
- Assessed localization accuracy with and without background noise in both horizontal and vertical planes.
- Utilized binaural and monaural listening conditions to evaluate directional hearing.
Main Results:
- Horizontal plane localization showed minor differences, potentially explained by hearing sensitivity variations.
- Vertical plane localization revealed no group differences in binaural listening.
- In monaural listening, the tinnitus group exhibited significantly poorer vertical localization with the affected ear, even after accounting for hearing loss.
Conclusions:
- Tinnitus may impair auditory localization, but this is largely attributable to associated hearing loss.
- Further research is necessary to fully separate the contributions of hearing loss and tinnitus to localization deficits.
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