title: Binaural pitch fusion: Comparison of normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners.
abstract: Binaural pitch fusion is the fusion of dichotically presented tones that evoke different pitches between the ears. In normal-hearing (NH) listeners, the frequency range over which binaural pitch fusion occurs is usually <0.2 octaves. Recently, broad fusion ranges of 1-4 octaves were demonstrated in bimodal cochlear implant users. In the current study, it was hypothesized that hearing aid (HA) users would also exhibit broad fusion. Fusion ranges were measured in both NH and hearing-impaired (HI) listeners with hearing losses ranging from mild-moderate to severe-profound, and relationships of fusion range with demographic factors and with diplacusis were examined. Fusion ranges of NH and HI listeners averaged 0.17 ± 0.13 octaves and 1.7 ± 1.5 octaves, respectively. In HI listeners, fusion ranges were positively correlated with a principal component measure of the covarying factors of young age, early age of hearing loss onset, and long durations of hearing loss and HA use, but not with hearing threshold, amplification level, or diplacusis. In NH listeners, no correlations were observed with age, hearing threshold, or diplacusis. The association of broad fusion with early onset, long duration of hearing loss suggests a possible role of long-term experience with hearing loss and amplification in the development of broad fusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Lina A J
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Corey S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Shayman
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Emily P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Keri O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Curtis L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hartling
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Bess
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Glickman
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics and Design Program, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lasarev
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Yonghee
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004007:Dichotic Listening Tests; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D010898:Pitch Perception; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult