[Prosthetic rehabilitation of unilateral anakusis. Study with stereoaudiometry].
We studied the clinical and stereoaudiometric results in two patients with unilateral anakusis who were rehabilitated with a bone-transmission prosthesis (B.A.H.A.) on the deaf side. Clinically, both patients improved considerably, recovering their capacity to communicate, particularly in a noisy environment. Sound localization tests demonstrated that the sound source was not precisely localized in space. Inversely, the spatial discrimination tests and the multidirectional tests showed an important improvement in comprehension of speech, particularly in the dead space of the defective hemifield. This recovery was certainly related to improved perception of high frequencies via intracranial transmission enabled by the prosthesis.
Vaneecloo
F M
FM
Service d'Otologie et Otoneurologie, Hôpital R. Salengro, bd du Pr Leclercq, 59037 Lille Cedex.
Hanson
J N
JN
Laroche
C
C
Vincent
C
C
Dehaussy
J
J
D001299:Audiometry; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design