Cambi Jacopo, Livi Ludovica, Livi Walter
Department of Ear, Nose & Throat, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2017 May;17(2):e168-e173. doi: 10.18295/squmj.2016.17.02.006. Epub 2017 Jun 20.
Many blind individuals demonstrate enhanced auditory spatial discrimination or localisation of sound sources in comparison to sighted subjects. However, this hypothesis has not yet been confirmed with regards to underwater spatial localisation. This study therefore aimed to investigate underwater acoustic source localisation among blind and sighted scuba divers.
This study took place between February and June 2015 in Elba, Italy, and involved two experimental groups of divers with either acquired (n = 20) or congenital (n = 10) blindness and a control group of 30 sighted divers. Each subject took part in five attempts at an under-water acoustic source localisation task, in which the divers were requested to swim to the source of a sound originating from one of 24 potential locations. The control group had their sight obscured during the task.
The congenitally blind divers demonstrated significantly better underwater sound localisation compared to the control group or those with acquired blindness ( = 0.0007). In addition, there was a significant correlation between years of blindness and underwater sound localisation ( <0.0001).
Congenital blindness was found to positively affect the ability of a diver to recognise the source of a sound in an underwater environment. As the correct localisation of sounds underwater may help individuals to avoid imminent danger, divers should perform sound localisation tests during training sessions.
与视力正常的受试者相比,许多盲人表现出更强的听觉空间辨别能力或声源定位能力。然而,关于水下空间定位,这一假设尚未得到证实。因此,本研究旨在调查盲人和视力正常的潜水员的水下声源定位情况。
本研究于2015年2月至6月在意大利厄尔巴岛进行,涉及两个实验组的潜水员,一组为后天失明者(n = 20),另一组为先天失明者(n = 10),以及一个由30名视力正常的潜水员组成的对照组。每个受试者都参与了五次水下声源定位任务尝试,在任务中,潜水员被要求游向来自24个潜在位置之一的声音源。对照组在任务过程中视力被遮挡。
与对照组或后天失明者相比,先天失明的潜水员表现出明显更好的水下声音定位能力(P = 0.0007)。此外,失明年限与水下声音定位之间存在显著相关性(P < 0.0001)。
研究发现,先天失明对潜水员在水下环境中识别声源的能力有积极影响。由于在水下正确定位声音可能有助于个体避免迫在眉睫的危险,潜水员在训练期间应进行声音定位测试。