Abstract
Objectives
Sound localization in subjects with normal hearing is done by recognition of interaural difference of time, intensity, and phase of sound source. The defect of sound localizing ability may increase the chance of accident, decrease public conversation. Individuals with tinnitus, deprived of the binaural cues, are expected to have difficulty in localizing sound. The purpose of the research is to investigate the sound localizing ability in subjects with tinnitus to localize sound in horizontal plane by comparing with normal control group.
Methods
3 groups of subjects participated in this study. The first group consisted of 30 subjects with unilateral tinnitus without hearing disturbance, the second group consisted of 30 subjects with unilateral tinntus, hearing disturbance. Control group was 20 normal hearing adults. Sound localization ability was assessed by means of an array of 8 loudspeakers positioned at the azimuth of 45°each in the horizontal plane at a distance of 100 cm from the subject.
Results
The localization score increased significantly as tinnitus with hearing disturbance as compared with control group(p<0.05). In the tinnitus without hearing disturbance group as compared with the control group, the localization score increased but there is no stastical significance.
Conclusions
In the tinnitus without hearing disturbance group, the sound localization ability was decreased but there is no stastical significance. This means that tinnitus has relatively small effect of interaural intensity difference in usual living. It needs further study with similar tinnitus intensity, pitch.
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