Meehan Sarah, Hough Elizabeth A, Crundwell Gemma, Knappett Rachel, Smith Mark, Baguley David M
Audiology Department, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.
J Am Acad Audiol. 2017 May;28(5):444-462. doi: 10.3766/jaaa.16063.
Many of the world's population have hearing loss in one ear; current statistics indicate that up to 10% of the population may be affected. Although the detrimental impact of bilateral hearing loss, hearing aids, and cochlear implants upon music appreciation is well recognized, studies on the influence of single-sided deafness (SSD) are sparse.
We sought to investigate whether a single-sided hearing loss can cause problems with music appreciation, despite normal hearing in the other ear.
A tailored questionnaire was used to investigate music appreciation for those with SSD.
We performed a retrospective survey of a population of 51 adults from a University Hospital Audiology Department SSD clinic. SSD was predominantly adult-onset sensorineural hearing loss, caused by a variety of etiologies.
Analyses were performed to assess for statistical differences between groups, for example, comparing music appreciation before and after the onset of SSD, or before and after receiving hearing aid(s).
Results demonstrated that a proportion of the population experienced significant changes to the way music sounded; music was found to sound more unnatural (75%), unpleasant (71%), and indistinct (81%) than before hearing loss. Music was reported to lack the perceptual qualities of stereo sound, and to be confounded by distortion effects and tinnitus. Such changes manifested in an altered music appreciation, with 44% of participants listening to music less often, 71% of participants enjoying music less, and 46% of participants reporting that music played a lesser role in their lives than pre-SSD. Negative effects surrounding social occasions with music were revealed, along with a strong preference for limiting background music. Hearing aids were not found to significantly ameliorate these effects.
Results could be explained in part through considerations of psychoacoustic changes intrinsic to an asymmetric hearing loss and impaired auditory scene analysis. Given the prevalence of music and its capacity to influence an individual's well-being, results here present strong indications that the potential effects of SSD on music appreciation should be considered in a clinical context; an investigation into relevant rehabilitation techniques may prove valuable.
世界上许多人有单耳听力损失；目前的统计数据表明，高达10%的人口可能受到影响。尽管双侧听力损失、助听器和人工耳蜗对音乐欣赏的有害影响已得到充分认识，但关于单侧耳聋（SSD）影响的研究却很少。
我们试图研究单侧听力损失是否会导致音乐欣赏方面的问题，尽管另一只耳朵听力正常。
使用一份定制问卷来调查SSD患者的音乐欣赏情况。
我们对一家大学医院听力科SSD诊所的51名成年人进行了回顾性调查。SSD主要是成人起病的感音神经性听力损失，由多种病因引起。
进行分析以评估组间的统计差异，例如，比较SSD发病前后或佩戴助听器前后的音乐欣赏情况。
结果表明，一部分人在音乐听起来的方式上经历了显著变化；发现音乐比听力损失前听起来更不自然（75%）、不悦耳（71%）和不清晰（81%）。据报告，音乐缺乏立体声的感知特性，并且受到失真效应和耳鸣的干扰。这些变化表现为音乐欣赏的改变，44%的参与者听音乐的频率降低，71%的参与者对音乐的喜爱程度降低，46%的参与者报告说音乐在他们生活中的作用比SSD前更小。揭示了与有音乐的社交场合相关的负面影响，以及对限制背景音乐的强烈偏好。未发现助听器能显著改善这些影响。
部分结果可以通过考虑不对称听力损失固有的心理声学变化和听觉场景分析受损来解释。鉴于音乐的普遍性及其影响个人幸福感的能力，这里的结果有力地表明，在临床背景下应考虑SSD对音乐欣赏的潜在影响；对相关康复技术的研究可能被证明是有价值的。
