Sound localization with impaired hearing

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Abstract
Discrimination tests were made on persons with hearing impairments and on patients with multiple sclerosis. Results include estimates of horizontal minimum audible angle (MAA) at eight azimuths, vertical MAA straight ahead, and just‐noticeable differences in interaural time delay (time JND) and interaural amplitude ratio (amplitude JND). The standard stimulus was broadband (0.25–10 kHz), pulsed (1 s) noise. Conductive cases (>35‐dB loss) gave abnormal values in almost all tests. Symmetric sensori‐neural cases with speech discrimination scores above 90% gave roughly normal values in all tests, while the corresponding group with scores below 80% gave elevated values for the vertical MAA and the horizontal MAA on the sides. Meniere's cases had normal MAAs and time JNDs and an amplitude JND that was normal only at high levels. Neurinoma cases gave abnormal values in at least one measurement each, with large intersubject variability. Persons with only one functional ear showed no ability to discriminate interaural parameters but some gave MAAs within the normal range. For multiple sclerosis patients, time JNDs, amplitude JNDs, and vertical MAAs were affected independently. [Work supported by NIH and Hopital Cantonal, Geneva, Switzerland.]

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