Audiovisual Training in Virtual Reality Improves Auditory Spatial Adaptation in Unilateral Hearing Loss Patients

Alzaher, Mariam; Valzolgher, Chiara; Verdelet, Grégoire; Pavani, Francesco; Farnè, Alessandro; Barone, Pascal; Marx, Mathieu

doi:10.3390/jcm12062357

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…An important aspect of testing monaural hearing or hearing in noise is the effect of training. Several authors have shown that the capacity of pure-tone azimuth localization improves with training [25][26][27]. A higher dependency on spectral cues and sensitivity central adjustment in the case of asymmetrical hearing [25] and enhanced spatial performances with the exploitation of visual cues [26] have been advocated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several authors have shown that the capacity of pure-tone azimuth localization improves with training [25][26][27]. A higher dependency on spectral cues and sensitivity central adjustment in the case of asymmetrical hearing [25] and enhanced spatial performances with the exploitation of visual cues [26] have been advocated. Hearing performances in noise also improve with different types of training such as hearing in noise [27] conditions or even musical activities [28,29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Free-Field Hearing Test in Noise with Free Head Rotation for Evaluation of Monaural Hearing

Tetard,

Guigou,

Sonnet

et al. 2023

JCM

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There is a discrepancy between the hearing test results in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) and their reported outcome measures. This is probably due to the presence of two elements in everyday situations: noise and head movements. We developed a stereo-audiometric test in noise with free head movements to evaluate movements and auditory performance in monaural and binaural conditions in normal hearing volunteers with one occluded ear. Tests were performed in the binaural condition (BIN), with the left ear (LEO) or the right ear occluded (REO). The signal was emitted by one of the seven speakers, placed every 30° in a semicircle, and the noise (cocktail party) by all speakers. Subjects turned their head freely to obtain the most comfortable listening position, then repeated 10 sentences in this position. In monaural conditions, the sums of rotations (head rotations for an optimal hearing position in degrees, random signal azimuth, 1 to 15 signal ad lib signal presentations) were higher (LEO 255 ± 212°, REO 308 ± 208° versus BIN 74 ± 76, p < 0.001, ANOVA) than those in the BIN condition and the discrimination score (out of 10) was lower than that in the BIN condition (LEO 5 ± 1, REO 7 ± 1 versus BIN 8 ± 1, respectively p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 ANOVA). In the monaural condition, total rotation and discrimination in noise were negatively correlated with difficulty (Pearson r = −0.68, p < 0.01 and −0.51, p < 0.05, respectively). Subjects’ behaviors were different in optimizing their hearing in noise via head rotation. The evaluation of head movements seems to be a significant parameter in predicting the difficulty of monaural hearing in noisy environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Free-Field Hearing Test in Noise with Free Head Rotation for Evaluation of Monaural Hearing

Tetard,

Guigou,

Sonnet

et al. 2023

JCM

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“…Before starting the experiment, all participants signed an informed consent document, which had received ethical approval from the national ethics committee in France (Ile de France X, N° ID RCB 2019-A02293-54) and registered as clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04183348). The present work focuses on the data collected in the context of a broader sound localization training protocol during the pre-training session only (full results are published in Valzolgher, Todeschini et al, 2022 ; Valzolgher, Gatel, et al, 2022 ; Valzolgher, Bouzaid, et al, 2023 ; and Alzaher et al, 2023 , for NH, bCI, uCI, and uHL participants, respectively). Although the sample size was determined by the research question of the training studies, it is noteworthy that the sample size in each of the groups matches the numerosity of a previous study that investigated a similar experimental question ( Pavani et al, 2017 , N = 17).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capturing Visual Attention With Perturbed Auditory Spatial Cues

Valzolgher,

Alzaher,

Gaveau

et al. 2023

Trends in Hearing

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Lateralized sounds can orient visual attention, with benefits for audio-visual processing. Here, we asked to what extent perturbed auditory spatial cues—resulting from cochlear implants (CI) or unilateral hearing loss (uHL)—allow this automatic mechanism of information selection from the audio-visual environment. We used a classic paradigm from experimental psychology (capture of visual attention with sounds) to probe the integrity of audio-visual attentional orienting in 60 adults with hearing loss: bilateral CI users ( N = 20), unilateral CI users ( N = 20), and individuals with uHL ( N = 20). For comparison, we also included a group of normal-hearing (NH, N = 20) participants, tested in binaural and monaural listening conditions (i.e., with one ear plugged). All participants also completed a sound localization task to assess spatial hearing skills. Comparable audio-visual orienting was observed in bilateral CI, uHL, and binaural NH participants. By contrast, audio-visual orienting was, on average, absent in unilateral CI users and reduced in NH listening with one ear plugged. Spatial hearing skills were better in bilateral CI, uHL, and binaural NH participants than in unilateral CI users and monaurally plugged NH listeners. In unilateral CI users, spatial hearing skills correlated with audio-visual-orienting abilities. These novel results show that audio-visual-attention orienting can be preserved in bilateral CI users and in uHL patients to a greater extent than unilateral CI users. This highlights the importance of assessing the impact of hearing loss beyond auditory difficulties alone: to capture to what extent it may enable or impede typical interactions with the multisensory environment.

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“…In a comprehensive analysis conducted in South Korea focusing on UHL and the use of hearing aids (HAs), researchers discovered that the decision to adopt HAs was influenced by the hearing threshold levels in both the better and worse ear [ 12 ]. The role of AT in UHL aural rehabilitation has been scarcely investigated in the literature, even though a recent preliminary report supports the effectiveness of specifically designed rehabilitation methods for this population of patients [ 13 ]. Phonak’s Roger Pen is an advanced remote microphone system featuring digital adaptive multi-channel technology, which wirelessly channels the speaker’s voice directly to the sound processor of an HA [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Efficacy of Wireless Auditory Training in Unilateral Hearing Loss Rehabilitation

Lovato,

Monzani,

Kambo

et al. 2024

Audiology Research

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of auditory training (AT) in patients with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) using hearing aids (HAs), comparing traditional methods with a new approach involving a wireless remote microphone. Methods: The study included 96 participants, divided into two groups, with ages ranging from 42 to 64 years, comprising both male and female subjects. A clinical trial including consecutive moderate UHL patients was performed at our institution. For the study group, a Roger Pen was used during AT with patients inside a sound-attenuating cabin. Controls followed conventional sessions. Professional speech and language pathologists performed the rehabilitation. Audiological outcomes were measured, including word recognition at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of 0 dB, +5 dB, and +10 dB, to determine the effectiveness of the training. Measurements also included the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale to assess perceived auditory abilities. Results: A total of 46 and 50 UHL patients were randomly included in the study and control groups, respectively. No differences were found in terms of sex, age, presence of tinnitus, duration of hearing loss, pure tone average, and speech-in-noise perception without an HA. Following HA fitting and AT, a notable enhancement in the ability to identify speech in noisy environments was observed in the study group. This improvement was significant at SNRs of +5 and +10. When comparing the ability to identify speech in noise using HAs across both groups, it was observed that hearing capabilities post-wireless AT showed a significant improvement at an SNR of +5. Only the study group had a significant improvement in the total Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale score after the training. Conclusions: In our group of UHL patients, we found significantly better speech-in-noise perception when HA fitting was followed by wireless AT. Wireless AT may facilitate usage of HAs, leading to binaural hearing in UHL patients. Our findings suggest that future interventions might benefit from incorporating wireless technology in AT programs.

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Audiovisual Training in Virtual Reality Improves Auditory Spatial Adaptation in Unilateral Hearing Loss Patients

Cited by 11 publications

References 36 publications

Free-Field Hearing Test in Noise with Free Head Rotation for Evaluation of Monaural Hearing

Free-Field Hearing Test in Noise with Free Head Rotation for Evaluation of Monaural Hearing

Capturing Visual Attention With Perturbed Auditory Spatial Cues

The Efficacy of Wireless Auditory Training in Unilateral Hearing Loss Rehabilitation

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