Localization and Speech-in-Noise Performance in a Virtual Reality Test Environment: A Pilot Study of Adults With...

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neuroscience
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Single-sided deafness (SSD) presents challenges in speech understanding and sound localization.
• Cochlear implants (CIs) aim to restore hearing in individuals with severe to profound hearing loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a virtual reality (VR) test environment for measuring speech recognition in noise (SIN) and localization.
• To evaluate the binaural hearing benefit provided by a CI in adults with SSD within this VR environment.

Main Methods:

• A VR test environment with an eight-speaker array and a busy restaurant visual simulation was created.
• Five adults with SSD using a CI participated, completing SIN and localization tests in CI-ON and CI-OFF conditions.

Main Results:

• Cochlear implant benefits for SIN and localization showed improvement for some participants but not all.
• The degree of CI benefit was influenced by the speaker's location relative to the participant.

Conclusions:

• VR test environments offer novel opportunities for assessing SIN and localization in CI users.
• CI benefits for individuals with SSD in a VR setting are variable, depending on speaker location and individual factors.