Binaural performance in 155 adults with single-sided or asymmetric profound hearing loss: A STROBE analysis - 21/06/25

Doi : 10.1016/j.anorl.2025.06.004

M. Marx ^a,^b,⁎ , S. Taoui ^a, I. Mosnier ^c,^d, F. Venail ^e, M. Mondain ^e, A. Uziel ^e, D. Bakhos ^f, E. Lescanne ^f, Y. NGuyen ^c,^d, D. Bernardeschi ^c,^d, O. Sterkers ^c,^d, B. Godey ^g, G. Creff ^g, S. Schmerber ^h, N.-X. Bonne ⁱ, C. Vincent ^j, B. Fraysse ^a, O. Deguine ^a,^b, B. Lepage ^k
^a Service d’Otologie, Otoneurologie et ORL Pédiatrique, Hôpital Pierre-Paul Riquet, CHU de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France
^b Brain & Cognition Research Centre, UMR 5549, Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
^c Unité Fonctionnelle Implants Auditifs, ORL, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP–HP Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
^d Technologies et Thérapie Génique pour la Surdité, Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur/Inserm/Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
^e Service d’ORL, Hôpital Gui-de-Chauliac, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
^f Service d’ORL, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHU de Tours, Tours, France
^g Service d’ORL, Hôpital Pontchaillou, CHU de Rennes, Rennes, France
^h Service d’ORL, CHU de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
ⁱ Université Lille, Inserm, CHU de Lille, Service d’ORL, U1192–PRISM, Lille, France
^j Service d’ORL, Hôpital Salengro, CHU de Lille, Lille, France
^k Unité de Soutien Méthodologique à la Recherche, Faculté de Santé, Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France

^⁎Corresponding author. Service d’Otologie, Otoneurologie et ORL Pédiatrique, Hôpital Pierre-Paul Riquet, Place du Dr-Baylac, 31059 Toulouse cedex, France.Service d’Otologie, Otoneurologie et ORL Pédiatrique, Hôpital Pierre-Paul RiquetPlace du Dr-BaylacToulouse cedex31059France

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Abstract

Objectives

To estimate the proportion of subjects with single-sided or asymmetric profound hearing loss who achieve normal binaural performance, and to identify their specific demographic and audiological characteristics.

Material and methods

A French nationwide multicenter cross-sectional study included 155 subjects with single-sided or asymmetric profound hearing loss between 2014 and 2018. Speech-in-noise reception was assessed on the FraMatrix test in diotic, dichotic and reverse dichotic conditions to determine the signal-to-noise ratio allowing 50% correct reception. Sound localization was evaluated using a 180° 7-speaker horizontal array around the subject, to measure the root mean square error. The article was written following STROBE guidelines.

Results

Nineteen of the 155 subjects with single-sided (n=104) or asymmetric profound hearing loss (n=51) achieved normal scores for diotic speech reception in noise (i.e., critical signal-to-noise ratio better than −4.8dB), and 9 subjects (7.1%) had normal sound localization (i.e.,<30° error). In the 44 subjects (28.4%) with normal or near-normal diotic signal-to-noise ratio (better than −3dB), had significantly better hearing thresholds in the better ear, and notably for high frequencies between 2 and 4kHz.

Conclusion

In this cross-sectional study, 7.1% to almost 30% of subjects with single-sided or asymmetric profound hearing loss showed normal or near-normal binaural performance. Their main distinguishing audiological feature was better hearing thresholds in the better ear, which suggests compensatory strategies based on monaural spectral cues.

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Keywords : Single-sided profound hearing loss, Asymmetric profound hearing loss, Speech reception in noise, Sound localization