title: Effects of noise and reverberation on virtual sound localization for listeners with bilateral cochlear implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the effects of both noise and reverberation on the ability of listeners with bilateral cochlear implants (BCIs) to localize and the feasibility of using a virtual localization test to evaluate BCI users.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven adults with normal hearing (NH) and two adults with BCIs participated. All subjects completed the virtual localization test in quiet and at 0, -4, -8 dB signal-to-noise ratio in simulated anechoic and reverberant environments. BCI users were also tested at +4 dB signal-to-noise ratio. The noise source was at 0°. A three-word phrase was presented at 70 dB SPL from nine simulated locations in the frontal horizontal plane (±90°).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results revealed significantly poorer localization accuracy for BCI users than NH listeners in all conditions. Significant reverberation effects were observed for BCI users but not listeners with NH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Noise and reverberation have a significant effect on BCI users, and their localization ability can be evaluated using these virtual tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07003, USA. zhengy2@mail.montclair.edu
authors.forename: Yunfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koehnke
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Besing
authors.forename: Jaclyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spitzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013017:Sound Localization; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult