Effect of Interaural Angular Insertion Depth Mismatch on Sound Localization in Adolescent Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether interaural angular insertion depth (AID) mismatch affects horizontal sound localization accuracy (SLA) in adolescents with bilateral cochlear implants (BiCI) since early childhood.

If the findings confirm that interaural insertion depth mismatch degrades localization, surgeons and audiologists fitting bilateral cochlear implants in adolescents should aim for symmetric insertion depth where anatomically feasible.

Optimising bilateral cochlear implant fitting parameters for spatial hearing could meaningfully improve real-world listening outcomes for adolescent recipients.

1. 01Focuses on adolescent bilateral cochlear implant users — a relatively understudied population.
2. 02Interaural angular insertion depth mismatch is the key independent variable.
3. 03Horizontal sound localization accuracy is the primary outcome.
4. 04Findings could inform surgical and audiological fitting protocols.
5. 05Published in Otology & Neurotology, a leading surgical audiology journal.

PMID

42053364

DOI

10.1097/MAO.0000000000004925.

Journal

Otology & Neurotology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Adolescents using bilateral cochlear implants

Intervention

Bilateral cochlear implants with interaural angular insertion depth mismatch

Comparator

Bilateral cochlear implants with matched insertion depths