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Horizontal Sound Localization and Spatial Short-Term Memory Span in Hearing-Impaired Listeners and Listeners With
Hookang Song1, Jeong-Sug Kyong1,2,3, Jae Hee Lee1,2
1Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Hallym University of Graduate Studies, Seoul, Korea.
Journal of Audiology & Otology
|July 1, 2024
Summary
Hearing loss significantly impairs sound localization and spatial memory. Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) is particularly detrimental, highlighting the need for spatial hearing assessments in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
- Human Auditory Perception
Background:
- Sound localization relies on binaural cues like interaural time and level differences.
- Hearing loss (HL) can degrade these cues, potentially affecting spatial awareness and memory.
- Investigating HL effects on sound localization and spatial memory is crucial for understanding auditory deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine horizontal sound localization and spatial short-term memory in individuals with actual and simulated hearing loss.
- To compare performance between bilateral hearing loss (BHL) and unilateral hearing loss (UHL) conditions.
- To assess the impact of hearing asymmetry on spatial auditory processing.
Main Methods:
- 17 participants with bilateral symmetric HL and 17 normal-hearing (NH) participants.
- NH participants underwent simulated unilateral (UHL) and bilateral (BHL) hearing loss using masking noise.
- Localization accuracy, errors, and spatial short-term memory were measured using 11 loudspeakers.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in localization or spatial memory between actual BHL and simulated BHL groups.
- Localization performance was twofold worse in the UHL simulation compared to BHL.
- Hearing asymmetry in UHL significantly impaired spatial memory and introduced localization biases towards the intact ear.
Conclusions:
- Unilateral hearing loss significantly disrupts sound localization and spatial memory recall.
- Hearing asymmetry hinders the development of compensatory strategies for localization.
- Clinical evaluation of spatial hearing is recommended alongside traditional hearing tests.
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