Spatial Hearing in Individuals With Unilateral Peripheral Vestibular Disorders: An Exploratory Study

This preliminary study aimed to examine spatial auditory perception and selected cognitive functions in individuals with unilateral peripheral vestibular disorders and clinically normal hearing.

Fifteen individuals with unilateral peripheral vestibular disorders and 18 age-matched healthy controls underwent audiological and cognitive assessments. Spatial hearing was evaluated, and cognitive performance was assessed to account for its potential influence on spatial hearing.

Exploratory analyses showed poorer spatial hearing performance in the vestibular group than in the control group. After adjustment for age and pure-tone average, significant group differences remained under the spatially separated condition (SV90) and for spatial advantage, whereas the difference under the co-located condition (SV0) was no longer statistically significant. Although tinnitus prevalence differed between groups, within-group analyses showed no significant association between tinnitus and spatial hearing performance. No statistically significant group differences were observed in cognitive performance.

Unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction was associated with poorer spatial auditory performance, particularly under spatially separated listening conditions and in spatial advantage. Overall, the findings suggest that unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction may influence spatial hearing despite clinically normal hearing.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.33477991.