Horizontal Sound Localization and Spatial Short-Term Memory Span in Hearing-Impaired Listeners and Listeners With Simulated Hearing Loss.

IF 1.1 Q3 OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY

Journal of Audiology and Otology Pub Date : 2024-07-01 Epub Date: 2024-07-02 DOI:10.7874/jao.2023.00206

Hookang Song, Jeong-Sug Kyong, Jae Hee Lee

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and objectives: Localization of a sound source in the horizontal plane depends on the listener's interaural comparison of arrival time and level. Hearing loss (HL) can reduce access to these binaural cues, possibly disrupting the localization and memory of spatial information. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the horizontal sound localization performance and the spatial short-term memory in listeners with actual and simulated HL.

Subjects and methods: Seventeen listeners with bilateral symmetric HL and 17 listeners with normal hearing (NH) participated in the study. The hearing thresholds of NH listeners were elevated by a spectrally shaped masking noise for the simulations of unilateral hearing loss (UHL) and bilateral hearing loss (BHL). The localization accuracy and errors as well as the spatial short-term memory span were measured in the free field using a set of 11 loudspeakers arrayed over a 150° arc.

Results: The localization abilities and spatial short-term memory span did not significantly differ between actual BHL listeners and BHL-simulated NH listeners. Overall, the localization performance with the UHL simulation was approximately twofold worse than that with the BHL simulation, and the hearing asymmetry led to a detrimental effect on spatial memory. The mean localization score as a function of stimulus location in the UHL simulation was less than 30% even for the front (0° azimuth) stimuli and much worse on the side closer to the simulated ear. In the UHL simulation, the localization responses were biased toward the side of the intact ear even when sounds were coming from the front.

Conclusions: Hearing asymmetry induced by the UHL simulation substantially disrupted the localization performance and recall abilities of spatial positions encoded and stored in the memory, due to fewer chances to learn strategies to improve localization. The marked effect of hearing asymmetry on sound localization highlights the need for clinical assessments of spatial hearing in addition to conventional hearing tests.

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听力受损者和模拟听力受损者的水平声音定位和空间短时记忆跨度。

背景和目标：......：水平面上声源的定位取决于听者对到达时间和水平的耳际比较。听力损失（HL）会减少这些双耳线索的获取，可能会破坏空间信息的定位和记忆。因此，本研究旨在调查实际和模拟 HL 听者的水平声音定位性能和空间短时记忆：17 名患有双侧对称性 HL 的听者和 17 名听力正常（NH）的听者参加了研究。在模拟单侧听力损失（UHL）和双侧听力损失（BHL）时，NH 听者的听阈会被频谱形状的掩蔽噪声提高。在自由声场中，使用在 150° 弧线上排列的 11 个扬声器测量了定位精度和误差以及空间短时记忆跨度：实际 BHL 听者和 BHL 模拟 NH 听者的定位能力和空间短期记忆跨度没有显著差异。总体而言，UHL 模拟的定位能力比 BHL 模拟的定位能力差约两倍，听力不对称对空间记忆产生了不利影响。在 UHL 模拟中，即使是正面（方位角为 0°）的刺激物，其平均定位得分与刺激物位置的函数关系也低于 30%，而在靠近模拟耳的一侧，其平均定位得分要低得多。在 UHL 模拟中，即使声音来自正面，定位反应也偏向完整耳朵的一侧：结论：UHL模拟导致的听力不对称严重破坏了记忆中编码和存储的空间位置的定位性能和回忆能力，这是因为学习改善定位策略的机会减少了。听力不对称对声音定位的明显影响突出表明，除常规听力测试外，还需要对空间听力进行临床评估。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Audiology and Otology OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY-

CiteScore

1.90

自引率

9.10%

发文量

期刊介绍： Journal of Audiology and Otology (JAO) (formerly known as Korean Journal of Audiology) aims to publish the most advanced findings for all aspects of the auditory and vestibular system and diseases of the ear using state-of-the-art techniques and analyses. The journal covers recent trends related to the topics of audiology, otology, and neurotology conducted by professionals, with the goal of providing better possible treatment to people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, who suffer from auditory and/or vestibular disorders and thus, improving their quality of life. This journal encourages the submission of review papers about current professional issues, research papers presenting a scientific base and clinical application, and case papers with unique reports or clinical trials. We also invite letters to the editor and papers related to the manufacture and distribution of medical devices. This journal provides integrated views from otologists, audiologists, and other healthcare practitioners, offering readers high quality scientific and clinical information. This peer-reviewed and open access journal has been the official journal of the Korean Audiological Society since 1997 and of both the Korean Audiological Society and the Korean Otological Society since 2017. It is published in English four times a year in January, April, July, and October.