Cochlear implantation improves localization ability in patients with unilateral deafness.

Objectives: One of the major complaints of people with a single-sided deafness is the inability to localize sound sources. Evidence suggests that subjects with a hearing loss can benefit from the use of a cochlear implant (CI) in sound localization. This study aimed to determine the effect of CI use on localization ability in unilaterally deafened subjects.

Design: Sixteen adult subjects with postlingual unilateral deafness, fitted with a CI on the deaf side, were included in this study. The auditory speech sounds evaluation (A§E) localization test was used to determine localization with a CI on (binaural) and a CI off (monaural). The root mean square error was used as a measure of the subject's localization performance. Stratified analyses were performed to test the influence of gender, age of implantation (<55 years and >55 years), and the duration of deafness (<10 years and >10 years) on localization ability.

Results: Subjects with a CI on localized significantly better than without a CI. Gender, age, and the duration of deafness had no effect on the localization ability of the subjects.

Conclusions: Cochlear implantation is effective in improving localization abilities in subjects with unilateral deafness. The root mean square error dropped significantly with binaural hearing compared to monaural hearing.