Investigating the Effects of Unilateral Moderate to Profound Hearing Loss on Spatial Auditory Processing Skills in Adults

Background and Aims Despite good speech intelligibility in quiet environments, unilateral hearing loss can lead to significant challenges in noisy settings. This is due to the deprivation of binaural spatial cues, crucial for sound localization, lateralization, and speech comprehension in noisy environments. Accordingly, individuals with unilateral hearing loss are suspected of having spatial auditory processing disorders. This study investigates the effects of moderate to profound unilateral hearing loss on spatial auditory processing skills in adults using two validated self-assessment questionnaires. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive analytical study enrolled 60 participants, including 30 adults with moderate to profound unilateral hearing loss (target group) and 30 adults with normal hearing in both ears (control group). Spatial auditory processing skills were assessed using the Persian versions of the speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing scale and the spatial hearing questionnaire. Independent t tests were used for group comparisons, and the Spearman correlation test was applied to examine the relationship between the two questionnaires, considering the non-normal data distribution. Results Significant differences were observed in total and subscale scores on both questionnaires between the target and control groups. The target group (individuals with unilateral hearing loss) demonstrated poorer performance in spatial auditory processing compared to the control group. Meanwhile, a strong correlation was found between the total and subscale scores of the two questionnaires, suggesting consistency in the findings. Conclusion Moderate to profound unilateral hearing loss significantly impacts spatial auditory processing skills. This study provides evidence for the challenges individuals with unilateral hearing loss face in auditory processing tasks, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and support to enhance their listening abilities.