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Objectives: The ability to localize sound sources is crucial for everyday listening, as it contributes to spatial awareness and the detection of warning signs. Individuals with hearing impairment have poorer localization abilities, which further deteriorate when they are fitted with a hearing aid. Although numerous studies have addressed this phenomenon, there is a lack of systematic evidence. The aim of the current systematic review is to address the following research question, "Do behavioural measures of spatial hearing ability improve with bilateral hearing aid fitting compared to the unaided hearing condition?" Design: A comprehensive search was conducted by two independent authors utilizing electronic databases, using various electronic databases, covering the period of 1965 to 2022. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were formulated using the Population, Intervention, Compression, Outcome, and Study design (PICOS) format, and the certainty of evidence was determined using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. Results: The comprehensive search resulted in 2199 studies, 17 studies for qualitative synthesis and 15 studies for quantitative synthesis. The collected data was divided into two groups, namely vertical and horizontal localization. The results of the quantitative analysis indicate that the localization performance was significantly better in the unaided condition for both vertical and horizontal planes. The certainty of our evidence was judged to be moderate, meaning that "we are moderately confident in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different". Conclusion: The review findings demonstrate that the bilateral fitting of the hearing aid did not effectively preserve spatial cues, which resulted in poorer localization performance irrespective of the plane of assessment. Review Registration: Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO); CRD42022358164 IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Hearing aids are a widely used rehabilitative method to compensate for the loss of audibility in individuals with hearing impairment. The current review highlights that, even though hearing aids can enhance audibility, they often fail to preserve spatial cues. This review paper provides a comprehensive summary of the existing literature, focusing on the preservation of spatial cues by hearing aids and the technologies that can enhance localization performance to a certain degree. The findings of the current study encourage both researchers and hearing aid manufacturers to advance their research methods pertaining to the preservation of spatial cues. This advancement has the potential to improve spatial awareness and possibly improve speech perception in the presence of noise in hearing aid users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neurological basis for perceptual awareness remains unclear, and theories disagree as to whether sensory cortices per se generate awareness. Critically, neural activity in the sensory cortices is only a neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) if it closely matches the contents of perceptual awareness. Research in vision and touch suggest that contralateral activity in sensory cortices is an NCC. Similarly, research in hearing with two sound sources (left and right) presented over headphones also suggests that a candidate NCC called the auditory awareness negativity (AAN) matches perceived location of sound. The current study used 13 different sound sources presented over loudspeakers for natural localization cues and measured event‐related potentials to a threshold stimulus in a sound localization task. Preregistered Bayesian mixed models provided moderate evidence against an overall AAN and very strong evidence against its lateralization. Because of issues regarding data quantity and quality, exploratory analyses with aggregated data from multiple loudspeakers were conducted. Results provided moderate evidence for an overall AAN and strong evidence against its lateralization. Nonetheless, the interpretations of these results remain inconclusive. Therefore, future research should reduce the number of conditions and/or test over several sessions to procure a sufficient amount of data. Taken at face value, the results may suggest issues with AAN as an NCC of auditory awareness, as it does not laterally map onto experiences in a free‐field auditory environment, in contrast to the NCCs of vision and touch. In vision and touch, contralateral activity in sensory cortices is a neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) as the neural activity matches lateralized percepts. In hearing, this has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we measured event‐related potentials from 13 free‐field sound sources. The neural correlate of auditory consciousness (AAN) was found; however, results do not resolve whether AAN is lateralized in response to lateral stimuli. Taken at face value, results may suggest that AAN is not an NCC of lateralized auditory experience to free‐field sound sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paradoxical nonlinear phenomenon called post-inhibitory facilitation (PIF) has been observed in the superior olive neuron for precise sound localization, which means that an inhibitory synaptic current appearing earlier than an excitatory one does not suppress but facilitates a spike for a short interval between the two currents. Although the PIF is reproduced for type III excitability/non-bifurcation and mediated by a fast low-threshold potassium current (IKLT), contradictorily, explained with a negative threshold related to type II excitability/Hopf bifurcation, even if in the absence of the IKLT. In the present paper, explanations to the seemingly contradictory nonlinear and ionic current mechanisms for the PIF are presented in a modified model containing the IKLT. Firstly, the modified model exhibits Hopf bifurcation/type II for weak or zero IKLT, in addition to non-bifurcation/type III for strong IKLT which resembles the original models. Secondly, the PIF can be evoked for types III and II with a positive threshold, which presents novel conditions for the PIF. Thirdly, with the excitatory current considered, some traditional positive thresholds become novel negative thresholds, which presents successful explanations to the novel PIF modulated by the IKLT and the inhibitory and excitatory synapses. The novel PIF appears for a strong and relatively slow inhibitory synaptic current which can induce membrane potential reduced to run across the negative threshold, while not for weak or fast inhibitory current or not for novel positive thresholds related to fast excitatory synapses. Finally, the PIF with short time interval appears for type III with fast dynamics, which is mainly mediated by the fast IKLT, resembling the experiment. The PIF with wide interval appears for type II with slow dynamics, which is mediated by the weak IKLT and/or the slow leak current (IL), presenting a novel current to mediate the PIF. The bifurcation/excitability, novel threshold surface, IKLT and IL, and inhibitory and excitatory synapses present a comprehensive viewpoint on the PIF and the potential modulations to obtain the PIF with short interval for the precise sound localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a lack of prospective studies comparing multiple treatment options for single-sided deafness (SSD) in terms of long-term sound localization outcomes. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to compare the objective and subjective sound localization abilities of SSD patients treated with a cochlear implant (CI), a bone conduction device (BCD), a contralateral routing of signals (CROS) hearing aid, or no treatment after two years of follow-up. About 120 eligible patients were randomized to cochlear implantation or to a trial period with first a BCD on a headband, then a CROS (or vice versa). After the trial periods, participants opted for a surgically implanted BCD, a CROS, or no treatment. Sound localization accuracy (in three configurations, calculated as percentage correct and root-mean squared error in degrees) and subjective spatial hearing (subscale of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of hearing (SSQ) questionnaire) were assessed at baseline and after 24 months of follow-up. At the start of follow-up, 28 participants were implanted with a CI, 25 with a BCD, 34 chose a CROS, and 26 opted for no treatment. Participants in the CI group showed better sound localization accuracy and subjective spatial hearing compared to participants in the BCD, CROS, and no-treatment groups at 24 months. Participants in the CI and CROS groups showed improved subjective spatial hearing at 24 months compared to baseline. To conclude, CI outperformed the BCD, CROS, and no-treatment groups in terms of sound localization accuracy and subjective spatial hearing in SSD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION Netherlands Trial Register (https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl): NL4457, CINGLE trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural decoding is a tool for understanding how activities from a population of neurons inside the brain relate to the outside world and for engineering applications such as brain-machine interfaces. However, neural decoding studies mainly focused on different decoding algorithms rather than different neuron types which could use different coding strategies. In this study, we used two-photon calcium imaging to assess three auditory spatial decoders (space map, opponent channel, and population pattern) in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the dorsal inferior colliculus of male and female mice. Our findings revealed a clustering of excitatory neurons that prefer similar interaural level difference (ILD), the primary spatial cues in mice, while inhibitory neurons showed random local ILD organization. We found that inhibitory neurons displayed lower decoding variability under the opponent channel decoder, while excitatory neurons achieved higher decoding accuracy under the space map and population pattern decoders. Further analysis revealed that the inhibitory neurons' preference for ILD off the midline and the excitatory neurons' heterogeneous ILD tuning account for their decoding differences. Additionally, we discovered a sharper ILD tuning in the inhibitory neurons. Our computational model, linking this to increased presynaptic inhibitory inputs, was corroborated using monaural and binaural stimuli. Overall, this study provides experimental and computational insight into how excitatory and inhibitory neurons uniquely contribute to the coding of sound locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesMethodsResultsConclusionsThe primary objective was to examine duration of daily cochlear implant (CI) usage at 12 and 24 months post-operatively in single sided deafness (SSD). The secondary objective was to examine factors that could affect CI usage.Retrospective cohort of patients with SSD who received CI from January 2015 to March 2020. CI usage was evaluated at 12 and 24 months. Hearing loss duration, tinnitus scores and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were correlated with CI usage at 12 months.Usage data was available for 54 patients at 12 months and 38 patients at 24 months. The mean usage was 8.2 h/day (SD 4.2) at 12 months, 7.0 h/day (SD 5.1) at 24 months. 5 out of 54 (9.3%) and 7 out of 38 patients (18.4%) were non-users at 12 and 24 months post-operatively. An improved mean SNR score from pre-operative 4.4 dB (SD 2.8) to – 0.70 dB (SD 4.2) at 12 months post-operative was positively correlated with CI usage at 12 and 24 months. Hearing loss duration and tinnitus scores were not associated with CI usage.18.4% of our patients were non-users at 24 months. Mean usage at 24 months was 7.0 h/day. Improved hearing in noise at 12 months was correlated with better usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To design and develop a Portable Auditory Localization Acclimation Training (PALAT) system capable of producing psychoacoustically accurate localization cues; evaluate the training effect against a proven full-scale, laboratory-grade system under three listening conditions; and determine if the PALAT system is sensitive to differences among electronic level-dependent hearing protection devices (HPDs). Background: In-laboratory auditory localization training has demonstrated the ability to improve localization performance with the open (natural) ear, that is, unoccluded, and while wearing HPDs. The military requires a portable system capable of imparting similar training benefits as those demonstrated in laboratory experiments. Method: In a full-factorial repeated measures design experiment, 12 audiometrically normal participants completed localization training and testing using an identical, optimized training protocol on two training systems under three listening conditions (open ear, TEP-100, and ComTac™ III). Statistical tests were performed on mean absolute accuracy score and front-back reversal errors. Results: No statistical difference existed between the PALAT and laboratory-grade DRILCOM systems on two dependent localization accuracy measurements at all stages of training. In addition, the PALAT system detected the same localization performance differences among the three listening conditions. Conclusion: The PALAT system imparted similar training benefits as the DRILCOM system and was sensitive to HPD localization performance differences. Application: The user-operable PALAT system and optimized training protocol can be employed by the military, law enforcement, and various industries, to improve auditory localization performance in conditions where auditory situation awareness is critical to safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sound‐source localization is based on spatial cues arising due to interactions of sound waves with the torso, head and ears. Here, we evaluated neural responses to free‐field sound sources in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CIC), the medial geniculate body (MGB) and the primary auditory cortex (A1) of Mongolian gerbils. Using silicon probes we recorded from anaesthetized gerbils positioned in the centre of a sound‐attenuating, anechoic chamber. We measured rate‐azimuth functions (RAFs) with broad‐band noise of varying levels presented from loudspeakers spanning 210° in azimuth and characterized RAFs by calculating spatial centroids, Equivalent Rectangular Receptive Fields (ERRFs), steepest slope locations and spatial‐separation thresholds. To compare neuronal responses with behavioural discrimination thresholds from the literature we performed a neurometric analysis based on signal‐detection theory. All structures demonstrated heterogeneous spatial tuning with a clear dominance of contralateral tuning. However, the relative amount of contralateral tuning decreased from the CIC to A1. In all three structures spatial tuning broadened with increasing sound‐level. This effect was strongest in CIC and weakest in A1. Neurometric spatial‐separation thresholds compared well with behavioural discrimination thresholds for locations directly in front of the animal. Our findings contrast with those reported for another rodent, the rat, which exhibits homogenous and sharply delimited contralateral spatial tuning. Spatial tuning in gerbils resembles more closely the tuning reported in A1 of cats, ferrets and non‐human primates. Interestingly, gerbils, in contrast to rats, share good low‐frequency hearing with carnivores and non‐human primates, which may account for the observed spatial tuning properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective stimuli in our environment indicate reward or threat and thereby relate to approach and avoidance behavior. Previous findings suggest that affective stimuli may bias visual perception, but it remains unclear whether similar biases exist in the auditory domain. Therefore, we asked whether affective auditory voices (angry vs. neutral) influence sound distance perception. Two VR experiments (data collection 2021–2022) were conducted in which auditory stimuli were presented via loudspeakers located at positions unknown to the participants. In the first experiment (N = 44), participants actively placed a visually presented virtual agent or virtual loudspeaker in an empty room at the perceived sound source location. In the second experiment (N = 32), participants were standing in front of several virtual agents or virtual loudspeakers and had to indicate the sound source by directing their gaze toward the perceived sound location. Results in both preregistered experiments consistently showed that participants estimated the location of angry voice stimuli at greater distances than the location of neutral voice stimuli. We discuss that neither emotional nor motivational biases can account for these results. Instead, distance estimates seem to rely on listeners' representations regarding the relationship between vocal affect and acoustic characteristics. Public Significance Statement: Theory suggests that threat stimuli may be perceived closer or bigger than they are, resulting in enhanced response preparation. In contrast to this notion, the present data from two VR experiments consistently demonstrate that angry voice stimuli are perceived at greater distances than neutral voice stimuli. Based on these findings, we suggest that for auditory stimuli, distance processing seems to be driven by listeners' top-down expectations of the relationship of speaker's affect and acoustic features rather than stimulus threat or motivational tendencies. The present study adds to our understanding of how stimulus properties and top-down mechanisms help us perceive the world around us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center (PSNC) developed an ambisonic installation and workflow as part of audio-visual 8K VR 360° immersive media experiments. This work aimed to investigate the quality of performance of the PSNC setup through both subjective tests as well as simulations providing objective parameters of interaural characteristics in a real-life scenario of PSNC studio. For the objective part, an algorithm for angle estimation has been proposed and computations were performed.

Auditory space has been conceptualized as a matrix of systematically arranged combinations of binaural disparity cues that arise in the superior olivary complex (SOC). The computational code for interaural time and intensity differences utilizes excitatory and inhibitory projections that converge in the inferior colliculus (IC). The challenge is to determine the neural circuits underlying this convergence and to model how the binaural cues encode location. It has been shown that midbrain neurons are largely excited by sound from the contralateral ear and inhibited by sound leading at the ipsilateral ear. In this context, ascending projections from the lateral superior olive (LSO) to the IC have been reported to be ipsilaterally glycinergic and contralaterally glutamatergic. This study used CBA/CaH mice (3-6 months old) and applied unilateral retrograde tracing techniques into the IC in conjunction with immunocytochemical methods with glycine and glutamate transporters (GlyT2 and vGLUT2, respectively) to analyze the projection patterns from the LSO to the IC. Glycinergic and glutamatergic neurons were spatially intermixed within the LSO, and both types projected to the IC. For GlyT2 and vGLUT2 neurons, the average percentage of ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting cells was similar (ANOVA, p = 0.48). A roughly equal number of GlyT2 and vGLUT2 neurons did not project to the IC. The somatic size and shape of these neurons match the descriptions of LSO principal cells. A minor but distinct population of small (< 40 mm2) neurons that labeled for GlyT2 did not project to the IC; these cells emerge as candidates for inhibitory local circuit neurons. Our findings indicate a symmetric and bilateral projection of glycine and glutamate neurons from the LSO to the IC. The differences between our results and those from previous studies suggest that species and habitat differences have a significant role in mechanisms of binaural processing and highlight the importance of research methods and comparative neuroscience. These data will be important for modeling how excitatory and inhibitory systems converge to create auditory space in the CBA/CaH mouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sensorimotor adaptation has often been studied in the visual modality through the Prism Adaptation (PA) paradigm. In this paradigm, a lateral shift in visual pointing was found after wearing prismatic goggles. An effect of PA has sometimes been observed on hearing, in favor of a cross-modality recalibration. However, no study has ever shown if a biased auditory-motor adaptation could induce this lateral shift, which appears essential to a better understanding of the mechanisms of auditory adaptation. The present study aimed at inducing an auditory prism-like effect. Methods: Sixty healthy young adults underwent a session of active audio-proprioceptive training in immersive virtual reality based on Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTF). This training consisted of a game in which the hand-held controller emitted sounds either at its actual position in a control group or at 10° or 20° to the right of its actual position in two experimental groups. Sound localization was assessed before and after the training. Results: The difference between both localization tests was significantly different between the three groups. As expected, the difference was significantly leftward for the group with a 20° deviation compared to the control group. However, this effect is due to a significant rightward deviation in the control group whereas no significant difference between localization tests emerged in the two experimental groups, suggesting that other factors such as fatigue may have cumulated with the training after-effect. Discussion: More studies are needed to determine which angle of deviation and which number of sessions of this audio-proprioceptive training are required to obtain the best after-effect. Although the coupling of hearing and vision in PA still needs to be studied, adding spatial hearing to PA programs could be a promising way to reinforce after-effects and optimize their benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated sound localization abilities in patients with bilateral conductive and/or mixed hearing loss (BCHL) when listening with either one or two middle ear implants (MEIs). Sound localization was measured by asking patients to point as quickly and accurately as possible with a head-mounted LED in the perceived sound direction. Loudspeakers, positioned around the listener within a range of +73°/−73° in the horizontal plane, were not visible to the patients. Broadband (500 Hz–20 kHz) noise bursts (150 ms), roved over a 20-dB range in 10 dB steps was presented. MEIs stimulate the ipsilateral cochlea only and therefore the localization response was not affected by crosstalk. Sound localization was better with bilateral MEIs compared with the unilateral left and unilateral right conditions. Good sound localization performance was found in the bilaterally aided hearing condition in four patients. In two patients, localization abilities equaled normal hearing performance. Interestingly, in the unaided condition, when both devices were turned off, subjects could still localize the stimuli presented at the highest sound level. Comparison with data of patients implanted bilaterally with bone-conduction devices, demonstrated that localization abilities with MEIs were superior. The measurements demonstrate that patients with BCHL, using remnant binaural cues in the unaided condition, are able to process binaural cues when listening with bilateral MEIs. We conclude that implantation with two MEIs, each stimulating only the ipsilateral cochlea, without crosstalk to the contralateral cochlea, can result in good sound localization abilities, and that this topic needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: People with single-sided deafness (SSD) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) have particular difficulty understanding speech in noisy listening situations and in sound localization. The objective of this multicenter study is to evaluate the effect of a cochlear implant (CI) in adults with single-sided deafness (SSD) or asymmetric hearing loss (AHL), particularly regarding sound localization and speech intelligibility with additional interest in electric-acoustic pitch matching. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study at 7 European tertiary referral centers was conducted including 19 SSD and 16 AHL subjects undergoing cochlear implantation. Sound localization accuracy was investigated in terms of root mean square error and signed bias before and after implantation. Speech recognition in quiet and speech reception thresholds in noise for several spatial configurations were assessed preoperatively and at several post-activation time points. Pitch perception with CI was tracked using pitch matching. Data up to 12 months post activation were collected. RESULTS: In both SSD and AHL subjects, CI significantly improved sound localization for sound sources on the implant side, and thus overall sound localization. Speech recognition in quiet with the implant ear improved significantly. In noise, a significant head shadow effect was found for SSD subjects only. However, the evaluation of AHL subjects was limited by the small sample size. No uniform development of pitch perception with the implant ear was observed. CONCLUSION: The benefits shown in this study confirm and expand the existing body of evidence for the effectiveness of CI in SSD and AHL. Particularly, improved localization was shown to result from increased localization accuracy on the implant side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speaker diarization consists of answering the question of "who spoke when" in audio recordings. In meeting scenarios, the task of labeling audio with the corresponding speaker identities can be further assisted by the exploitation of spatial features. This work proposes a framework designed to assess the effectiveness of combining speaker embeddings with Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) values from available microphone sensor arrays in meetings. We extract speaker embeddings using two popular and robust pre-trained models, ECAPA-TDNN and X-vectors, and calculate the TDOA values via the Generalized Cross-Correlation (GCC) method with Phase Transform (PHAT) weighting. Although ECAPA-TDNN outperforms the Xvectors model, we utilize both speaker embedding models to explore the potential of employing a computationally lighter model when spatial information is exploited. Various techniques for combining the spatial–temporal information are examined in order to determine the best clustering method. The proposed framework is evaluated on two multichannel datasets: the AVLab Speaker Localization dataset and a multichannel dataset (SpeaD-M3C) enriched in the context of the present work with supplementary information from smartphone recordings. Our results strongly indicate that the integration of spatial information can significantly improve the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning diarization models, presenting a 2–3% reduction in DER compared to the baseline approach on the evaluated datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In augmented reality scenarios, headphones obstruct the direct path of the sound to the ears, affecting the users’ abilities to localize surrounding sound sources and compromising the immersive experience. Unfortunately, the assessment of the perceptual implications of wearing headphones on localization in ecologically valid scenarios is costly and time-consuming. Here, we propose a model-based tool for automatic assessment of the dynamic localization degradation (DLD) introduced by headphones describing the time required to find a target in an auditory-guided visual search task. First, we introduce the DLD score obtained for twelve headphones and the search times with actual listeners. Then, we describe the predictions of the headphone-induced DLD score obtained by an auditory model designed to simulate the listener’s search time. Our results indicate that our tool can predict the degradation score of unseen headphones. Thus, our tool can be applied to automatically assess the impact of headphones on listener experience in augmented reality applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lateral superior olive (LSO), a prominent integration center in the auditory brainstem, contains a remarkably heterogeneous population of neurons. Ascending neurons, predominantly principal neurons (pLSOs), process interaural level differences for sound localization. Descending neurons (lateral olivocochlear neurons, LOCs) provide feedback into the cochlea and are thought to protect against acoustic overload. The molecular determinants of the neuronal diversity in the LSO are largely unknown. Here, we used patch-seq analysis in mice at postnatal days P10-12 to classify developing LSO neurons according to their functional and molecular profiles. Across the entire sample (n = 86 neurons), genes involved in ATP synthesis were particularly highly expressed, confirming the energy expenditure of auditory neurons. Two clusters were identified, pLSOs and LOCs. They were distinguished by 353 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), most of which were novel for the LSO. Electrophysiological analysis confirmed the transcriptomic clustering. We focused on genes affecting neuronal input-output properties and validated some of them by immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and pharmacology. These genes encode proteins such as osteopontin, Kv11.3, and Kvß3 (pLSO-specific), calcitonin-gene-related peptide (LOC-specific), or Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 (no DEGs). We identified 12 "Super DEGs" and 12 genes showing "Cluster similarity." Collectively, we provide fundamental and comprehensive insights into the molecular composition of individual ascending and descending neurons in the juvenile auditory brainstem and how this may relate to their specific functions, including developmental aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory spatial cues contribute to two distinct functions, of which one leads to explicit localization of sound sources and the other provides a location-linked representation of sound objects. Behavioral and imaging studies demonstrated right-hemispheric dominance for explicit sound localization. An early clinical case study documented the dissociation between the explicit sound localizations, which was heavily impaired, and fully preserved use of spatial cues for sound object segregation. The latter involves location-linked encoding of sound objects. We review here evidence pertaining to brain regions involved in location-linked representation of sound objects. Auditory evoked potential (AEP) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigated this aspect by comparing encoding of individual sound objects, which changed their locations or remained stationary. Systematic search identified 1 AEP and 12 fMRI studies. Together with studies of anatomical correlates of impaired of spatial-cue-based sound object segregation after focal brain lesions, the present evidence indicates that the location-linked representation of sound objects involves strongly the left hemisphere and to a lesser degree the right hemisphere. Location-linked encoding of sound objects is present in several early-stage auditory areas and in the specialized temporal voice area. In these regions, emotional valence benefits from location-linked encoding as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural environment challenges the brain to prioritize the processing of salient stimuli. The barn owl, a sound localization specialist, exhibits a circuit called the midbrain stimulus selection network, dedicated to representing locations of the most salient stimulus in circumstances of concurrent stimuli. Previous competition studies using unimodal (visual) and bimodal (visual and auditory) stimuli have shown that relative strength is encoded in spike response rates. However, open questions remain concerning auditory-auditory competition on coding. To this end, we present diverse auditory competitors (concurrent flat noise and amplitude-modulated noise) and record neural responses of awake barn owls of both sexes in subsequent midbrain space maps, the external nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICx) and optic tectum (OT). While both ICx and OT exhibit a topographic map of auditory space, OT also integrates visual input and is part of the global-inhibitory midbrain stimulus selection network. Through comparative investigation of these regions, we show that while increasing strength of a competitor sound decreases spike response rates of spatially distant neurons in both regions, relative strength determines spike train synchrony of nearby units only in the OT. Furthermore, changes in synchrony by sound competition in the OT are correlated to gamma range oscillations of local field potentials associated with input from the midbrain stimulus selection network. The results of this investigation suggest that modulations in spiking synchrony between units by gamma oscillations are an emergent coding scheme representing relative strength of concurrent stimuli, which may have relevant implications for downstream readout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans have the remarkable ability to integrate information from different senses, which greatly facilitates the detection, localization and identification of events in the environment. About 466 million people worldwide suffer from hearing loss. Yet, the impact of hearing loss on how the senses work together is rarely investigated. Here, we investigate how a common sensory impairment, asymmetric conductive hearing loss (AHL), alters the way our senses interact by examining human orienting behaviour with normal hearing (NH) and acute AHL. This type of hearing loss disrupts auditory localization. We hypothesized that this creates a conflict between auditory and visual spatial estimates and alters how auditory and visual inputs are integrated to facilitate multisensory spatial perception. We analysed the spatial and temporal properties of saccades to auditory, visual and audiovisual stimuli before and after plugging the right ear of participants. Both spatial and temporal aspects of multisensory integration were affected by AHL. Compared with NH, AHL caused participants to make slow, inaccurate and unprecise saccades towards auditory targets. Surprisingly, increased weight on visual input resulted in accurate audiovisual localization with AHL. This came at a cost: saccade latencies for audiovisual targets increased significantly. The larger the auditory localization errors, the less participants were able to benefit from audiovisual integration in terms of saccade latency. Our results indicate that observers immediately change sensory weights to effectively deal with acute AHL and preserve audiovisual accuracy in a way that cannot be fully explained by statistical models of optimal cue integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nIntroduction: The aim of this study was to examine how bimodal stimulation affects quality of life (QOL) during the postoperative period following cochlear implantation (CI). These data could potentially provide evidence to encourage more bimodal candidates to continue hearing aid (HA) use after CI. Methods: In this prospective study, patients completed preoperative and 1-, 3-, and 6-month post-activation QOL surveys on listening effort, speech perception, sound quality/localization, and hearing handicap. Fifteen HA users who were candidates for contralateral CI completed the study (mean age 65.6 years). Results: Patients used both devices at a median rate of 97%, 97%, and 98% of the time at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. On average, patients’ hearing handicap scores decreased by 16% at 1 month, 36% at 3 months, and 30% at 6 months. Patients’ listening effort scores decreased by a mean of 10.8% at 1 month, 12.6% at 3 months, and 18.7% at 6 months. Localization significantly improved by 24.3% at 1 month and remained steady. There was no significant improvement in sound quality scores. Conclusion: Bimodal listeners should expect QOL to improve, and listening effort and localization are generally optimized using CI and HA compared to CI alone. Some scores improved at earlier time points than others, suggesting bimodal auditory skills may develop at different rates. This study investigated how using both a cochlear implant (CI) and a hearing aid (HA) in the other ear, known as bimodal stimulation, affects patient’s hearing-related quality of life after receiving a CI. We hoped our work could potentially encourage greater HA use among bimodal candidates. Researchers prospectively followed 15 individuals, with an average age of 65.6 years, and asked them to fill out surveys before their CI surgery, and then again 1, 3, and 6 months after they started using both devices. Patients used both the CI and HA around 97–98% time. Their ability to locate where sounds were coming from significantly improved by 1 month postop, although sound quality did not meaningfully change. Patients’ hearing handicap score substantially decreased by 3 months postop, meaning they had improved hearing-related quality of life. Their listening effort scores also significantly decreased by 6 months, and at that time point, patient survey responses demonstrated a subjective preference for using both devices rather than either device alone. Overall, using both a CI and a HA together generally improves hearing-related quality of life, listening effort, and sound localization early in the postoperative period. Our study suggests that patients should be encouraged to use their CI and HA for at least 6 months postoperatively because over time they may see additional benefits and improved satisfaction using both devices compared to their CI alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The auditory spatial processing abilities mature throughout childhood and degenerate in older adults. This study aimed to compare the differences in onset cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) and locationevoked acoustic change complex (ACC) responses among children, adults, and the elderly and to investigate the impact of aging and development on ACC responses. Design: One hundred and seventeen people were recruited in the study, including 57 typically-developed children, 30 adults, and 30 elderlies. The onset-CAEP evoked by white noise and ACC by sequential changes in azimuths were recorded. Latencies and amplitudes as a function of azimuths were analyzed using the analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression model. Results: The ACC N1'-P2' amplitudes and latencies in adults, P1'-N1' amplitudes in children, and N1' amplitudes and latencies in the elderly were correlated with angles of shifts. The N1'-P2' and P2' amplitudes decreased in the elderly compared to adults. In Children, the ACC P1'-N1' responses gradually differentiated into the P1'-N1'-P2' complex. Multiple regression analysis showed that N1'-P2' amplitudes (R² = 0.33) and P2' latencies (R2 = 0.18) were the two most variable predictors in adults, while in the elderly, N1' latencies (R2 = 0.26) explained most variances. Although the amplitudes of onset-CAEP differed at some angles, it could not predict angle changes as effectively as ACC responses. Conclusion: The location-evoked ACC responses varied among children, adults, and the elderly. The N1'-P2' amplitudes and P2' latencies in adults and N1' latencies in the elderly explained most variances of changes in spatial position. The differentiation of the N1' waveform was observed in children. Further research should be conducted across all age groups, along with behavioral assessments, to confirm the relationship between aging and immaturity in objective ACC responses and poorer subjective spatial performance. Significance: ACCs evoked by location changes were assessed in adults, children, and the elderly to explore the impact of aging and development on these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vestibular schwannoma is a benign tumor; however, the schwannoma itself and interventions can cause sensorineural hearing loss. Most vestibular schwannomas are unilateral tumors that affect hearing only on one side. Attention has focused on improving the quality of life for patients with unilateral hearing loss and therapeutic interventions to address this issue have been emphasized. Herein, we encountered a patient who was a candidate for hearing preservation surgery based on preoperative findings and had nonserviceable hearing after the surgery, according to the Gardner–Robertson classification. Postoperatively, the patient had decreased listening comprehension and ability to localize sound sources. He was fitted with bilateral hearing aids, and his ability to localize sound sources improved. Although the patient had postoperative nonserviceable hearing on the affected side and age-related hearing loss on the unaffected side, hearing aids in both ears were useful for his daily life. Therefore, the patient was able to maintain a binaural hearing effect and the ability to localize the sound source improved. This report emphasizes the importance of hearing preservation with vestibular schwannomas, and the demand for hearing loss rehabilitation as a postoperative complication can increase, even if hearing loss is nonserviceable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with age-related hearing loss (ARHL) often struggle with tracking and locating sound sources, but the neural signature associated with these impairments remains unclear. Materials and methods: Using a passive listening task with stimuli from five different horizontal directions in functional magnetic resonance imaging, we defined functional regions of interest (ROIs) of the auditory "where" pathway based on the data of previous literatures and young normal hearing listeners (n = 20). Then, we investigated associations of the demographic, cognitive, and behavioral features of sound localization with task-based activation and connectivity of the ROIs in ARHL patients (n = 22). Results: We found that the increased high-level region activation, such as the premotor cortex and inferior parietal lobule, was associated with increased localization accuracy and cognitive function. Moreover, increased connectivity between the left planum temporale and left superior frontal gyrus was associated with increased localization accuracy in ARHL. Increased connectivity between right primary auditory cortex and right middle temporal gyrus, right premotor cortex and left anterior cingulate cortex, and right planum temporale and left lingual gyrus in ARHL was associated with decreased localization accuracy. Among the ARHL patients, the task-dependent brain activation and connectivity of certain ROIs were associated with education, hearing loss duration, and cognitive function. Conclusion: Consistent with the sensory deprivation hypothesis, in ARHL, sound source identification, which requires advanced processing in the high-level cortex, is impaired, whereas the right-left discrimination, which relies on the primary sensory cortex, is compensated with a tendency to recruit more resources concerning cognition and attention to the auditory sensory cortex. Overall, this study expanded our understanding of the neural mechanisms contributing to sound localization deficits associated with ARHL and may serve as a potential imaging biomarker for investigating and predicting anomalous sound localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurons in the medial superior olive (MSO) exhibit high frequency responses such as subthreshold resonance, which is helpful to sensitively detect a small difference in the arrival time of sounds between two ears for precise sound localization. Recently, except for the high frequency depolarization resonance mediated by a low threshold potassium (IKLT) current, a low frequency hyperpolarization resonance mediated by a hyperpolarization-activated cation (IH) current is observed in experiments on the MSO neurons, forming double resonances. The complex dynamics underlying double resonances are studied in an MSO neuron model in the present paper. Firstly, double resonances similar to the experimental observations are simulated as the resting membrane potential is between half-activation voltages of IH and IKLT currents, and stimulation current (IZAP) with large amplitude and exponentially increasing frequency is applied. Secondly, multiple effective factors to modulate double resonances are obtained. Especially, the decrease of time constant of IKLT current and increase of conductance of IH and IKLT currents can enhance the depolarization resonance frequency for precise sound localization. Last, different frequency responses of slow IH and fast IKLT currents in formation of the resonances are acquired. A middle phase difference between IZAP and IKLT currents appears at a high frequency, and the interaction between the positive part of IZAP and the negative IKLT current forms the depolarization resonance. Interaction between the negative part of IZAP and positive IH current with a middle phase difference results in hyperpolarization resonance at a low frequency. Furthermore, the phase difference between IZAP and resonance current can well explain the increase of depolarization resonance frequency modulated by the increase of conductance of IH or IKLT currents. The results present the dynamical and biophysical mechanisms for the double resonances mediated by two currents in the MSO neurons, which is helpful to enhance the depolarization resonance frequency for precise sound localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of Comparative Physiology lived up to its name in the last 100 years by including more than 1500 different taxa in almost 10,000 publications. Seventeen phyla of the animal kingdom were represented. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is the taxon with most publications, followed by locust (Locusta migratoria), crayfishes (Cambarus spp.), and fruitfly (Drosophila melanogaster). The representation of species in this journal in the past, thus, differs much from the 13 model systems as named by the National Institutes of Health (USA). We mention major accomplishments of research on species with specific adaptations, specialist animals, for example, the quantitative description of the processes underlying the axon potential in squid (Loligo forbesii) and the isolation of the first receptor channel in the electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) and electric ray (Torpedo spp.). Future neuroethological work should make the recent genetic and technological developments available for specialist animals. There are many research questions left that may be answered with high yield in specialists and some questions that can only be answered in specialists. Moreover, the adaptations of animals that occupy specific ecological niches often lend themselves to biomimetic applications. We go into some depth in explaining our thoughts in the research of motion vision in insects, sound localization in barn owls, and electroreception in weakly electric fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of auditory awareness among hearing aids users in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area of Cross River state, Nigeria. To achieve the aim of this study, four research questions were formulated to guide this study. Literature related to the variables under study was reviewed according to the hypotheses for the study. Survey research design was adopted for this study. The essence of this design was to allow the researcher make inference and generalization of the population by selecting and studying the sample chosen for the study. A total sample of two hundred and twenty (120) respondents were randomly selected for the study. The selection was done through the accidental sampling technique. The main instrument used for the collection of data was the questionnaire titled Assessment of Auditory Awareness questionnaire (AAAQ). The questionnaire was subjected to face validity by two experts in Measurement and Evaluation/Research and Statistics and Faculty of Education who vetted the items developed. The reliability estimate of the instrument was established through the Cronbach Alpha reliability method. The data were collected personally by the researchers with the help of some research assistants. To analyze the data for the study, descriptive statistics of mean and standard (simple percentage) was adopted this was because of the nature of the variables involved in the study. The result of the analysis reveals that, the level of sound detection among hearing aids, sound localization, auditory attention level and sound discrimination among hearing aids users in Calabar Municipal is significantly positive. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that auditory hearing aids should be provided to users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory space has been conceptualized as a matrix of systematically arranged combinations of binaural disparity cues that arise in the superior olivary complex (SOC). The computational code for interaural time and intensity differences utilizes excitatory and inhibitory projections that converge in the inferior colliculus (IC). The challenge is to determine the neural circuits underlying this convergence and to model how the binaural cues encode location. It has been shown that midbrain neurons are largely excited by sound from the contralateral ear and inhibited by sound leading at the ipsilateral ear. In this context, ascending projections from the lateral superior olive (LSO) to the IC have been reported to be ipsilaterally glycinergic and contralaterally glutamatergic. This study used CBA/CaH mice (3–6 months old) and applied unilateral retrograde tracing techniques into the IC in conjunction with immunocytochemical methods with glycine and glutamate transporters (GlyT2 and vGLUT2, respectively) to analyze the projection patterns from the LSO to the IC. Glycinergic and glutamatergic neurons were spatially intermixed within the LSO, and both types projected to the IC. For GlyT2 and vGLUT2 neurons, the average percentage of ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting cells was similar (ANOVA, p = 0.48). A roughly equal number of GlyT2 and vGLUT2 neurons did not project to the IC. The somatic size and shape of these neurons match the descriptions of LSO principal cells. A minor but distinct population of small (< 40 μm2) neurons that labeled for GlyT2 did not project to the IC; these cells emerge as candidates for inhibitory local circuit neurons. Our findings indicate a symmetric and bilateral projection of glycine and glutamate neurons from the LSO to the IC. The differences between our results and those from previous studies suggest that species and habitat differences have a significant role in mechanisms of binaural processing and highlight the importance of research methods and comparative neuroscience. These data will be important for modeling how excitatory and inhibitory systems converge to create auditory space in the CBA/CaH mouse.

IntroductionSensorimotor adaptation has often been studied in the visual modality through the Prism Adaptation (PA) paradigm. In this paradigm, a lateral shift in visual pointing was found after wearing prismatic goggles. An effect of PA has sometimes been observed on hearing, in favor of a cross-modality recalibration. However, no study has ever shown if a biased auditory-motor adaptation could induce this lateral shift, which appears essential to a better understanding of the mechanisms of auditory adaptation. The present study aimed at inducing an auditory prism-like effect.MethodsSixty healthy young adults underwent a session of active audio-proprioceptive training in immersive virtual reality based on Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTF). This training consisted of a game in which the hand-held controller emitted sounds either at its actual position in a control group or at 10° or 20° to the right of its actual position in two experimental groups. Sound localization was assessed before and after the training.ResultsThe difference between both localization tests was significantly different between the three groups. As expected, the difference was significantly leftward for the group with a 20° deviation compared to the control group. However, this effect is due to a significant rightward deviation in the control group whereas no significant difference between localization tests emerged in the two experimental groups, suggesting that other factors such as fatigue may have cumulated with the training after-effect.DiscussionMore studies are needed to determine which angle of deviation and which number of sessions of this audio-proprioceptive training are required to obtain the best after-effect. Although the coupling of hearing and vision in PA still needs to be studied, adding spatial hearing to PA programs could be a promising way to reinforce after-effects and optimize their benefits.

In augmented reality scenarios, headphones obstruct the direct path of the sound to the ears, affecting the users’ abilities to localize surrounding sound sources and compromising the immersive experience. Unfortunately, the assessment of the perceptual implications of wearing headphones on localization in ecologically valid scenarios is costly and time-consuming. Here, we propose a model-based tool for automatic assessment of the dynamic localization degradation (DLD) introduced by headphones describing the time required to find a target in an auditory-guided visual search task. First, we introduce the DLD score obtained for twelve headphones and the search times with actual listeners. Then, we describe the predictions of the headphone-induced DLD score obtained by an auditory model designed to simulate the listener’s search time. Our results indicate that our tool can predict the degradation score of unseen headphones. Thus, our tool can be applied to automatically assess the impact of headphones on listener experience in augmented reality applications.

Sound source localization is a critical problem in various fields, including communication, security, and entertainment. Binaural cues are a natural technique used by mammalian ears for efficient sound source localization. Spiking neural networks (SNNs) have emerged as a promising tool for implementing binaural sound source localization approaches. However, optimizing the topology and size of SNNs is crucial to reduce computational costs while maintaining accuracy. This paper proposes a real-time structure of a reservoir SNN (rSNN) called Adaptive-Resonance-Theory-based rSNN (ART-rSNN) for localizing sound sources in the time domain by integrating an energy-based localization method. The dataset used in this work is recorded by two different omnidirectional microphones from a real environment. The dataset includes various sound events such as speech, music, and environmental sounds. The proposed ART-rSNN architecture can dynamically adjust the location of its neurons to amplify estimated energy near the sound source, resulting in higher localization accuracy. Our proposed method outperforms several conventional and state of the art algorithms in terms of accuracy and is able to detect the front and back direction of azimuth angle. This work demonstrates the potential of dynamic neuron arrangements in SNNs for improving sound source localization in practical applications.

Abstract Localizing sounds in noisy environments can be challenging. Here, we reproduce real-life soundscapes to investigate the effects of environmental noise on sound localization experience. We evaluated participants' performance and metacognitive assessments, including measures of sound localization effort and confidence, while also tracking their spontaneous head movements. Normal-hearing participants (N = 30) were engaged in a speech-localization task conducted in three common soundscapes that progressively increased in complexity: nature, traffic, and a cocktail party setting. To control visual information and measure behaviors, we used visual virtual reality technology. The results revealed that the complexity of the soundscape had an impact on both performance errors and metacognitive evaluations. Participants reported increased effort and reduced confidence for sound localization in more complex noise environments. On the contrary, the level of soundscape complexity did not influence the use of spontaneous exploratory head-related behaviors. We also observed that, irrespective of the noisy condition, participants who implemented a higher number of head rotations and explored a wider extent of space by rotating their heads made lower localization errors. Interestingly, we found preliminary evidence that an increase in spontaneous head movements, specifically the extent of head rotation, leads to a decrease in perceived effort and an increase in confidence at the single-trial level. These findings expand previous observations regarding sound localization in noisy environments by broadening the perspective to also include metacognitive evaluations, exploratory behaviors and their interactions.

The recently named Rice's whale in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most endangered whales in the world, and improved knowledge of spatiotemporal occurrence patterns is needed to support their recovery and conservation. Passive acoustic monitoring methods for determining spatiotemporal occurrence patterns require identifying the species' call repertoire. Rice's whale call repertoire remains unvalidated though several potential call types have been identified. This study uses sonobuoys and passive acoustic tagging to validate the source of potential call types and to characterize Rice's whale calls. During concurrent visual and acoustic surveys, acoustic-directed approaches were conducted to obtain visual verifications of sources of localized sounds. Of 28 acoustic-directed approaches, 79% led to sightings of balaenopterid whales, of which 10 could be positively identified to species as Rice's whales. Long-moan calls, downsweep sequences, and tonal-sequences are attributed to Rice's whales based on these matches, while anthropogenic sources are ruled out. A potential new call type, the low-frequency downsweep sequence, is characterized from tagged Rice's whale recordings. The validation and characterization of the Rice's whale call repertoire provides foundational information needed to use passive acoustic monitoring for better understanding and conservation of these critically endangered whales.

Subjective reports indicate that hearing aids can disrupt sound externalization and/or reduce the perceived distance of sounds. Here we conducted an experiment to explore this phenomenon and to quantify how frequently it occurs for different hearing-aid styles. Of particular interest were the effects of microphone position (behind the ear vs. in the ear) and dome type (closed vs. open). Participants were young adults with normal hearing or with bilateral hearing loss, who were fitted with hearing aids that allowed variations in the microphone position and the dome type. They were seated in a large sound-treated booth and presented with monosyllabic words from loudspeakers at a distance of 1.5 m. Their task was to rate the perceived externalization of each word using a rating scale that ranged from 10 (at the loudspeaker in front) to 0 (in the head) to −10 (behind the listener). On average, compared to unaided listening, hearing aids tended to reduce perceived distance and lead to more in-the-head responses. This was especially true for closed domes in combination with behind-the-ear microphones. The behavioral data along with acoustical recordings made in the ear canals of a manikin suggest that increased low-frequency ear-canal levels (with closed domes) and ambiguous spatial cues (with behind-the-ear microphones) may both contribute to breakdowns of externalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the relative positions of a sound stimulus and a background masker on the components of evoked potentials (EPs) in the human brain in response to sound offset was studied. Sound stimuli were presented dichotically and sound image positions were specified by interaural level differences. The test signal and masker were located at a single point in space or were separated by designed angular distances of 90° or 180°. Coincidence of the positions of the signal and masker led to significant decreases in the amplitudes and increases in the latencies of the N1, P2, and N2 components of offset responses. Separation of the signal from the masker led to increases in response amplitude almost to the level of the response to the signal in silence, along with decreases in the latencies of all response components, which presumptively indicates successful extraction of the stimulus from the background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral hearing thresholds and noise localization acuity were determined using a conditioned avoidance/suppression procedure for three Helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris). The guineafowl responded to frequencies as low as 2 Hz at 82.5 dB SPL, and as high as 8 kHz at 84.5 dB SPL. At a level of 60 dB SPL, their hearing range spanned 8.12 octaves (24.6 Hz–6.86 kHz). Like most birds, they do not hear sounds above 8 kHz. However, the guineafowl demonstrated good low-frequency hearing (frequencies below 32 Hz), showing thresholds that are more sensitive than both the peafowl and pigeon, both of which hear infrasound. It thus appears that infrasound perception may be more common than previously thought and may have implications for species that inhabit areas with wind energy facilities. The guineafowls' minimum audible angle for a 100-ms broadband noise burst was 13.8 °, at the median for birds and near the mean for mammals. Unlike in mammals, the small sample of bird species and limited representation of lifestyles do not yet allow for meaningful interpretations of the selective pressures or mechanisms that underlie their abilities to locate sound sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandya made many important contributions to the understanding of the anatomy of the cortical auditory pathways beginning with his publication in 1969. This review focuses on the observation in that article on the transcallosal connections of the primary auditory cortex. The medial part of the cortex has such connections, but the lateral part does not. Pandya and colleagues speculated that this might have something to do with spatial localization of sound. Review of the subsequent literature shows that the primary auditory cortex anatomy is complex, but the original observation is likely correct. However, the physiological speculation was not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature offers various methods for measuring sound localization. In this study, we aimed to compare these methods to determine their effectiveness in addressing different research questions by examining the effect sizes obtained from each measure. Data from 150 participants who identified the location of a sound source were analyzed to explore the effects of speaker angle, stimuli, HPD type, and condition (with/without HPD) on sound localization, using six methods for analysis: mean absolute deviation (MAD), root-mean-squared error (RMSE), very large errors (VLE), percentage of errors larger than the average error observed in a group of participants (pMean), percentage of errors larger than half the distance between two consecutive loudspeakers (pHalf), and mirror image reversal errors (MIRE). Results indicated that the MIRE measure was the most sensitive to the effects of speaker angle and HPD type, while the VLE measure was most sensitive to the effect of stimuli type. The condition variable provided the largest effect sizes, with no difference observed between measures. The data suggest that when effect sizes are substantial, all methods are adequate. However, for cases where the effect size is expected to be small, methods that yield larger effect sizes should be considered, considering their alignment with the research question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated whether an interaural delay, e.g. caused by the processing latency of a hearing device, can affect sensitivity to interaural level differences (ILDs) in normal hearing subjects or cochlear implant (CI) users with contralateral normal hearing (SSD-CI). Methods: Sensitivity to ILD was measured in 10 SSD-CI subjects and in 24 normal hearing subjects. The stimulus was a noise burst presented via headphones and via a direct cable connection (CI). ILD sensitivity was measured for different interaural delays in the range induced by hearing devices. ILD sensitivity was correlated with results obtained in a sound localization task using seven loudspeakers in the frontal horizontal plane. Results: In the normal hearing subjects the sensitivity to interaural level differences deteriorated significantly with increasing interaural delays. In the CI group, no significant effect of interaural delays on ILD sensitivity was found. The NH subjects were significantly more sensitive to ILDs. The mean localization error in the CI group was 10.8° higher than in the normal hearing group. No correlation between sound localization ability and ILD sensitivity was found. Conclusion: Interaural delays influence the perception of ILDs. For normal hearing subjects a significant decrement in sensitivity to ILD was measured. The effect could not be confirmed in the tested SSD-CI group, probably due to a small subject group with large variations. The temporal matching of the two sides may be beneficial for ILD processing and thus sound localization for CI patients. However, further studies are needed for verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lateral superior olive (LSO), a prominent integration center in the auditory brainstem, contains a remarkably heterogeneous population of neurons. Ascending neurons, predominantly principal neurons (pLSOs), process interaural level differences for sound localization. Descending neurons (lateral olivocochlear neurons, LOCs) provide feedback into the cochlea and are thought to protect against acoustic overload. The molecular determinants of the neuronal diversity in the LSO are largely unknown. Here, we used patch-seq analysis in mice at postnatal days P10-12 to classify developing LSO neurons according to their functional and molecular profiles. Across the entire sample (n = 86 neurons), genes involved in ATP synthesis were particularly highly expressed, confirming the energy expenditure of auditory neurons. Two clusters were identified, pLSOs and LOCs. They were distinguished by 353 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), most of which were novel for the LSO. Electrophysiological analysis confirmed the transcriptomic clustering. We focused on genes affecting neuronal input–output properties and validated some of them by immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and pharmacology. These genes encode proteins such as osteopontin, Kv11.3, and Kvβ3 (pLSO-specific), calcitonin-gene-related peptide (LOC-specific), or Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 (no DEGs). We identified 12 “Super DEGs” and 12 genes showing “Cluster similarity.” Collectively, we provide fundamental and comprehensive insights into the molecular composition of individual ascending and descending neurons in the juvenile auditory brainstem and how this may relate to their specific functions, including developmental aspects.

Speaker diarization consists of answering the question of “who spoke when” in audio recordings. In meeting scenarios, the task of labeling audio with the corresponding speaker identities can be further assisted by the exploitation of spatial features. This work proposes a framework designed to assess the effectiveness of combining speaker embeddings with Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) values from available microphone sensor arrays in meetings. We extract speaker embeddings using two popular and robust pre-trained models, ECAPA-TDNN and X-vectors, and calculate the TDOA values via the Generalized Cross-Correlation (GCC) method with Phase Transform (PHAT) weighting. Although ECAPA-TDNN outperforms the Xvectors model, we utilize both speaker embedding models to explore the potential of employing a computationally lighter model when spatial information is exploited. Various techniques for combining the spatial–temporal information are examined in order to determine the best clustering method. The proposed framework is evaluated on two multichannel datasets: the AVLab Speaker Localization dataset and a multichannel dataset (SpeaD-M3C) enriched in the context of the present work with supplementary information from smartphone recordings. Our results strongly indicate that the integration of spatial information can significantly improve the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning diarization models, presenting a 2–3% reduction in DER compared to the baseline approach on the evaluated datasets.

Objectives To train participants to localize sound using virtual reality (VR) technology, appropriate auditory stimuli that contain accurate spatial cues are essential. The generic head-related transfer function that grounds the programmed spatial audio in VR does not reflect individual variation in monaural spatial cues, which is critical for auditory spatial perception in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD). As binaural difference cues are unavailable, auditory spatial perception is a typical problem in the SSD population and warrants intervention. This study assessed the applicability of binaurally recorded auditory stimuli in VR-based training for sound localization in SSD patients. Methods Sixteen subjects with SSD and 38 normal-hearing (NH) controls underwent VR-based training for sound localization and were assessed 3 weeks after completing training. The VR program incorporated prerecorded auditory stimuli created individually in the SSD group and over an anthropometric model in the NH group. Results Sound localization performance revealed significant improvements in both groups after training, with retained benefits lasting for an additional 3 weeks. Subjective improvements in spatial hearing were confirmed in the SSD group. Conclusion By examining individuals with SSD and NH, VR-based training for sound localization that used binaurally recorded stimuli, measured individually, was found to be effective and beneficial. Furthermore, VR-based training does not require sophisticated instruments or setups. These results suggest that this technique represents a new therapeutic treatment for impaired sound localization.

Background: Sound localization is a valuable skill whose maturation is influenced by auditory experience and is limited by bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. No study has assessed auditory localization in bilateral hearing-impaired children (BHIC) aged 5-6 years. The present study aimed to investigate the auditory localization skill in children with moderate-to-severe bilateral hearing loss and using hearing aids compared to their normally hearing peers.Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 19 participants aged 5-6 years (60-72 months) with a mean age of 65.31± 3.83 months as the BHIC group and 21 participants aged 5-6 years with a mean age of 60.21±3.02 months as the normally hearing children (NHC) group. The localization ability of both groups was tested in 24 positions with 15-degree intervals by a speaker connected to a laptop and a calibrated speech stimulus named "test." A score of +0.5 for each 15 degrees of error on the right side of the position and -0.5 on the left side of the position were considered.Results: The results revealed a significant difference in the error rates between the two groups in four (out of 24) positions (p