Localization by wearing a CROS hearing aid for people with unilateral deafness

Abstract

　Sound source localization in patients with unilateral hearing loss was evaluated under 4 conditions: 1) unaided; 2) after learning unaided; 3) aided by a CROS hearing aid; 4) after learning aided using 12 speakers and white noise. Sound localization was significantly more difficult for cases of unilateral deafness than for cases with bilateral normal hearing. Localization of the normal hearing side was significantly better than that from the impaired ear side, and there was no difference front/back localization, in cases of unilateral deafness. Localization became more difficult in subjects who wore a CROS hearing aid for unilateral deafness. Analysis of the output sound from the CROS aid revealed that the potential for localization was improved by hearing when the wearer heard the amplified sound through the CROS aid, which was expressed as a “mechanical sound” after the original sound.